c1fe61d475673feafe0f1af0f2fcf2d0

Titleflagellar activity
Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/
Rating5
VettedTrusted
Original URLhttp://starcentral.mbl.edu/msr/rawdata/viewable/opalinaranarum_dpw.jpg
authorD. J. Patterson.
providermicro*scope
Description
Opalina ranarum, one of the larger opalines - and found usually in the posterior section of the intestine of the frog Rana. This differential interference contrast image is in focus on the surface of the cell, and shows the crests of the waves of flagellar movement. To achieve this, each of the flagella - of which there are thousands in rows over the body surface - must beat slightly out of phase with their neighbours - a kind of protistan Mexican wave. Animations by Rosemary Arbur of flagellar beat patterns are available here. The front is to the left.
Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith