By: Maddie Keatingand

Jake Connor

Euglena

Domain

• Euglena belongs to the domain Eukaryota because they are protists, therefor being eukaryotic.

Kingdom

• Euglena were originally assigned the kingdom Protista but now they are placed in the kingdom Excavata, which contains both Kinetoplastids and Euglenids.

Phylum

• Euglena belong the phylum Euglenophyta, a large group of flagellate protozoa.

Class

• Euglena belongs to the class Euglenoidea.

Order

• The order of Euglena is Euglenida.

Family

• Euglena belong to the family Euglenacae.

Genus

• Euglena is a genus of single-celled, free-living microorganisms that show both plant- and animal-like characteristics. Members of the genus are found widely in nature and mainly in fresh waters.

Cell Structure

• The structure of a euglena is flagellate freshwater protozoan, which is composed of chlorophyll and has a rudimentary eye.

Reservoir

• The reservoir is the part of the euglena used for storage.

• The flagellum is attached to the cell here.

Contractile Vacuole

• A membrane-bound organelle found in euglena that pumps fluid in a cyclical manner from within the cell to the outside by alternately filling and then contracting to release its contents at various points on the surface of the cell. It functions in maintaining osmotic equilibrium.

Pellicle

• The pellicle is a thin layer supporting the cell membrane in various protozoa.

Chloroplast

• The chloroplasts makes food for the Euglena so it can eat. The Euglena doesn't really need it though, because it can hunt for it's one food being autotroph and heterotroph.

• The chloroplasts are also what give Euglena its green color due to the feeding of green algae.

Stigma

• The stigma helps direct the euglena towards light.

Flagellum

• The flagellum is a long, mobile filament used by the euglena for locomotion.

Nucleus

• The nucleus in a eukaryotic cell is the control center or brain of the cell. It stores all of the genetic information of the organism, and also controls all other cell activity.

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• The Cell Membrane is the layer that protects an animal cell and is the second layer of protection under the cell wall of a plant cell.

Nucleolus

• The nucleolus is the spherical body that contains the nucleus of a euglena.

Ribosomes

• The euglena has two types of ribosomes.• Chloroplast• Cytoplasmic

Cytoplasm

• The interior of the cell is a jelly-like fluid substance called cytoplasm.

Unicellular

• Euglena are unicellular, however long chains can form algae becoming multicellular.

Mitochondria

• The mitochondria provides energy for the cell to carry out its metabolic functions by producing ATP. It produces ATP by burning/oxidizing glucose by the process called aerobic cellular respiration.

Cell Wall

• Euglena have some cell wall made up of cellulose and some with chloroplasts.

Vacuoles

• Vacuoles are often used to store materials used for energy production such as starch, fat, or glycogen.

Lysosomes

• Lysosomes are used to digest materials that enter by endocytosis.

Golgi Complex

• The Golgi complex is used to sort proteins and lipids received from the ER, modify certain proteins and glycoproteins, and sort and package these molecules into vesicles for transport to other parts of the cell or secretion from the cell.

Endoplasmic Reticulum

• Euglena contains endoplasmic reticulum which is an organelle of cells that forms an interconnected network of tubules.

Mitosis

• In order for Euglena gracilis to reproduce it will complete a process called mitosis. That means it can split itself in half and become two Euglena gracilis. It can only do this if it is well-fed and if the temperature is right. Euglena gracilis can reproduce better in warm temperatures.

Cyst

• When it is too hot or cold for a euglena, it forms a protective casing called a cyst around its body that protects it until conditions outside the cyst become better.

The End.• Fun Extras!

• A video of an Euglena moving under a microscope:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiZ85y0g3UI