The scope of things: Vorticella

(Author’s note: The Scope of Things hopes to provide brief descriptions of some of the intriguing creatures I have viewed under the microscope. I’m not a microbiologist. This is my attempt at trying to make sense of a small but vast world of organisms we can’t see with the naked eye.)
​
Imagine my surprise when I saw a bell with small hairlike structures that could create tiny whirlpools to feed itself. Its unique shape was indeed a great help in identifying it. 

“Vorticella … are tiny, single-cellular, animal-like microorganisms. Vorticella is known for its bell-shaped head with a conspicuous ring of cilia (hair-like processes). … Vorticella can live in a variety of freshwater habitats, including ponds, pools, and ditches. They wave their cilia to bring food into their mouths,” said a post on rsscience.com titled "Vorticella – The Miniature Tulip Bouquet in the Microscopic World."

The organism belongs to a genus of ciliates, according to a Wikipedia entry.
“Ciliates are an important group of protists, common almost anywhere there is water—in lakes, ponds, oceans, rivers, and soils, including anoxic and oxygen-depleted habitat,” said Wikipedia post. 

In fact, water samples taken from both the neighbor’s pond and a vernal pool both contained vorticella.
 There are over 150 different species of Vorticella, according to the rsscienc.com post. 

Other internet posts explained how the microorganisms are commonly seen together like a bouquet or bell choir.

However, the vorticella I viewed were all singular.
​
Nonetheless, together or apart these protists were certainly fascinating.

​That’s just the nature of things round here.