A World in a Drop of Water by Alvin Silverstein

Author:Alvin Silverstein
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dover Publications
Published: 2013-12-10T16:00:00+00:00

Euglena: Is it a Plant or an Animal?

SWIMMING QUICKLY AMONG the algae, darting in and out of the tangled “weeds”, are many tiny animals. The Paramecium is here. So is the hungry Didinium, trying to catch a Paramecium for its dinner. These and other small animals are busily moving about, chasing after one another, or gobbling the floating algae.

But if we look closely, we will see other moving creatures. They dart about, propelled by long lashing tails. Some of these are the Euglenas. Each one has a single thin, whiplike tail, called a flagellum. Its tail may be longer than its body. The Euglena can also move by changing from a long fishlike shape to a plump pear shape, then back again. It has a red “eye-spot”, which can see light. Euglenas will always swim toward sunlight that is just bright enough. They will swim away from places that are too bright or too dark. They seem to be animals like the other moving creatures.

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