A single-celled organism, typically found in water, that has cilia covering its surface which it uses to move and catch food.
From Latin ciliatus meaning 'having eyelashes,' referring to the fringe-like appearance of cilia covering these microorganisms.
Ciliates are incredible organisms—Tetrahymena (a common ciliate) has been used in thousands of scientific experiments and is still teaching us about genetics, behavior, and evolution. They have multiple nuclei, can learn, and some species are carnivorous, hunting down bacteria like microscopic predators.
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