Paramecium

Paramecium
Paramecium aurelia
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Clade:	Diaphoretickes
Clade:	SAR
Clade:	Alveolata
Phylum:	Ciliophora
Class:	Oligohymenophorea
Order:	Peniculida
Family:	Parameciidae
Genus:	Paramecium Müller, 1773
Species
See text
Synonyms[1]
Paramoecium Hermann, 1783 Paramœcium Hermann, 1783 Chloroparamecium Fokin, Przybos, Chivilev, Beier, Horn, Skotarczak, Wodecka & Fujishima, 2004 Viridoparamecium Kreutz, Stoeck & Foissner, 2012

Paramecium (/ˌpærəˈmiːs(i)əm/ PARR-ə-MEE-s(ee-)əm, /-siəm/ -⁠see-əm, plural "paramecia" only when used as a vernacular name)^[2] is a genus of eukaryotic, unicellular ciliates, widespread in freshwater, brackish, and marine environments. Paramecia are often abundant in stagnant basins and ponds. Because some species are readily cultivated and easily induced to conjugate and divide, they have been widely used in classrooms and laboratories to study biological processes. Paramecium species are commonly studied as model organisms of the ciliate group and have been characterized as the "white rats" of the phylum Ciliophora.^[3]