Question

What is a vorticella's method of locomotion? (What does it use to move?) Is it a autotroph, heterotroph, or mixotroph?

Answer 1

Vorticella is a genus consisting of the bell-shaped ciliates. Cilia are present in their body structure that helps them in collecting food for themselves. Vorticella have stalks that are used for attaching themselves to a substrate. Therefore, they do not move and are attached to a substrate. Contractile myonemes help them pull the cell body against the substrate. So, these organisms are sterile and do not move freely. However, before the formation of the stalk there is a free swimming stage.

The food is obtained by creating water currents which pulls the food towards the oral structure. The cilia helps in ingesting the food. Bacteria are the main food source and hence, the mode of nutrition is chemoheterotrophic. Therefore, it is a heterotroph.