Termite Flagellates - Trichonympha sp.

This slide shows symbiotic protists from the digestive system of a termite! These flagellates digest cellulose, thus allowing their host (termites) to subsist on a diet of wood. In exchange, the protists receive a constant supply of food and shelter.

The "hairs" coming off the protists are flagella...they have tons of them.

*Whole mount slide

comments (2)

Ferdy Christant

Lion

Fascinating! How does one get something like this on a slide? Posted 4 years ago
1. Christine Young
  
  Lion
  
  You have to carefully remove the hindgut from the termite's body. Then, you simply break up the gut and mount it on a slide in either saline or stained (my slide is stained). Posted 4 years ago

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