Locomotion in Protozoa

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LOCOMOTION
IN PROTOZOA
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The following points highlight the three main

types of locomotion exhibited by protozoans:-
The types of locomotion are:
1. Amoeboid Movement
2. Flagellar Movement
3. Ciliary Movement.
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Protozoans: Type of Locomotion

# 1. Amoeboid Movement
 Movement of the animal is made by the throwing of pseudopodium,
called amoeboid movement.
 In the direction of movement of Amoeba a new pseudopodium is

formed and the pseudopodium at the opposite side gradually
disappears.
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Types of pseudopodia:
 According to form, structure and activity four different kinds of pseudopodia are
recognised.
 These are:
 (a) Lobopodium
 (b) Filopodium
 (c) Reticulopodium or Rhizopodium
 (d) Axopodium or Actinopodium

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(a) Lobopodium [Gk. Lobes = lobe; podium
= foot]
It is a short, finger or tongue-like projection which is accompanied by a

flow of endoplasm and ectoplasm.
The pseudopodium is broad with rounded or blunt tips.

 The ectoplasmmic area is distinctly clear, called the hyaline cap.
 It is the characteristic of many amoebas such as Amoeba.

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(b) Filopodium [L.filo = a thread; podium =
foot]
 The filopodium is a slender, thread-like or filamentous projection.
 It is formed by the ectoplasm alone and without a hyaline cap.
 The filaments are narrow and may be branched but do not anastomose,
 Filopodium is the characteristic in Filosea (e.g., Euglypha ).

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(c) Reticulopodium or Rhizopodium [L.
Reticulos = a net, podium = foot]
 Similar in structure to that of filopodium but the branches anastomose.
 The numerous branched and anastomosed pseudopodia form a dense

network, help primarily in capturing the prey and the secondary
function is locomotion.
 It is found in Elphidium.
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(d) Axopodium or Actinopodium [Gk. Axo = an
axle; podium = foot; aktis = ray]
 It is a semi-permanent structure and is made up of an axial rod enveloped
by cytoplasm.
 The axial rod is made up of a number of fibrils and arises either from the
central part of the body or from the nucleus or nuclei in multinucleate
forms or from an intermediate zone between ectoplasm and endoplasm.
 Axopodia are found in Actinophrys, Actinosphaerium, etc.

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# 2. Flagellar Movement
 Flagellar movement is performed by flagella and it is more advanced

type than the amoeboid type.
Definition:
 “Flagella are extremely fine, thread-like or whip-like, highly vibratile,

centriole based locomotor organelles”. lateral hair-like projections of
the flagellum are called mastigonemes or flimmer.
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1. Anematic:
• Flagella are without mastigonemes, e.g., Noctiluca.
2. Stichonematic:
• Flagella with a single row of mastigonemes on one side of the flagellum

e.g., Euglena.
3. Pantonematic:
• Flagella with two or more rows of mastigonemes on the sides, e.g.,

Peranema, Monas socialis.
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4. Acronematic:
• Flagellum does not bear any arrangement of mastigonemes but a

terminal filament is seen, e.g., Polytoma, Chlamydomonas.
• 5. Pentacronematic:
• When the flagellum bears two rows of mastigonemes on the sides and
the flagellum ends in a terminal filament without mastigonemes, e.g.,
Urcoclus.
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# 3. Ciliary Movement
 Ciliary movement is exhibited by the beating of the cilia. It is the most

advanced, complicated and co-ordinated mode of locomotion.
Definition:
 • “Cilia are fine, short, hair-like, centriole-based protoplasmic

processes, characteristic of many protozoan and metazoan cells”.
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Structure of Cilia
 The cilia and flagella possess nearly the same structures except they
differ in some points:
 • (i) Cilia are relatively shorter in length than the flagella.
 • (ii) Comparatively cilia are more numerous in number than the

flagella.
 • (iii) Absence of mastigonemes in cilia but present in flagella.

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• (iv) The microtubules of the axoneme extend from the base to the tip in
flagellum but in cilium the microtubules are reduced in number towards
the tip.
• (v) Presence of kinetodesma in cilia but absent in flagella.

 • (vi) The movement of the flagella and cilia exhibit certain
differences.

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z

The following points highlight the three main

The types of locomotion are:

Protozoans: Type of Locomotion

 In the direction of movement of Amoeba a new pseudopodium is

 (c) Reticulopodium or Rhizopodium

 (d) Axopodium or Actinopodium

It is a short, finger or tongue-like projection which is accompanied by a

The pseudopodium is broad with rounded or blunt tips.

 It is the characteristic of many amoebas such as Amoeba.

 The filopodium is a slender, thread-like or filamentous projection.

 It is formed by the ectoplasm alone and without a hyaline cap.

 Filopodium is the characteristic in Filosea (e.g., Euglypha ).

 Similar in structure to that of filopodium but the branches anastomose.

 The numerous branched and anastomosed pseudopodia form a dense

 Axopodia are found in Actinophrys, Actinosphaerium, etc.

 Flagellar movement is performed by flagella and it is more advanced

 “Flagella are extremely fine, thread-like or whip-like, highly vibratile,

• Flagella are without mastigonemes, e.g., Noctiluca.

• Flagella with a single row of mastigonemes on one side of the flagellum

• Flagella with two or more rows of mastigonemes on the sides, e.g.,

• Flagellum does not bear any arrangement of mastigonemes but a

 Ciliary movement is exhibited by the beating of the cilia. It is the most

 • “Cilia are fine, short, hair-like, centriole-based protoplasmic

 • (i) Cilia are relatively shorter in length than the flagella.

 • (ii) Comparatively cilia are more numerous in number than the

 • (iii) Absence of mastigonemes in cilia but present in flagella.

• (v) Presence of kinetodesma in cilia but absent in flagella.

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