Tetrahymena
Tetrahymena are
ciliate protozoa, common in aquatic habitats. They are pear-shaped and 30-100 μm in length, belonging among the hymenostomes and with cilia typical of that group.
Tetrahymena thrive at temperatures of 18-22 degrees Celsius. Because of their short generation time and because they can be grown to high cell density in inexpensive media, they are common subjects of scientific study. Species include:
- T. hegewischi
- T. hyperangularis
- T. malaccensis
- T. pigmentosa
- T. pyriformis
- T. thermophila