>> I am looking for information on the protzoa Blephora. My daughter's
> high school biology class oberved the organism. Her teach commented
> that there didn't seem to be much information on it. My daughter
> checked the local library with no results. I told her I would try to
> get something from internet. I'm looking for tracts, term papers or
> news articles that conerns Blepharisma. The material could be intended
> for either the students or the teacher. If anyone has anything that
> would be useable please send it to my e-mail address. Anything up to
> about 5,000 words would be welcome.
Rick,
Blepharisma is a genus of spirotrich ciliates which characteristically
are pink in colour. They also have a prominent set of membranelles
which look rather like fluttering eyelashes, whence the name (blepharon
is greek for eyelid). It is widely distributed and quite common, both
in fresh and sea water.
In fact, there is a very large literature available on Blepharisma,
although it may not be accessible to high school students. It is
mostly in papers which are spread thoughout the literature and many
of which are quite old. This is a very common problem to those wishing
to work with the protists and who do not have access to a good library.
Try and get hold of this book:
Blepharisma: the biology of a light sensitive protozoan
by Arthur C. Giese. Stanford University Press, 1973.
Almost any of the standard text books covering the ciliates should
have somthing about Blepharisma.
Good luck, Dave.
--
Dr D.McL. Roberts Tel: +44 (0)171 938 8790
Dept. Zoology, Fax: +44 (0)171 938 9158
The Natural History Museum,
Cromwell Road, Internet: dmr at nhm.ac.uk
London SW7 5BD
Great Britain
