Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Diversity of Protists IV01:27

Diversity of Protists IV

678
Amoebozoa represent a diverse group of terrestrial and aquatic protists that utilize lobe-shaped pseudopodia for locomotion and feeding. This characteristic differentiates them from the Rhizaria, which possess threadlike pseudopodia. The primary classifications within Amoebozoa include gymnamoebas, entamoebas, and the plasmodial and cellular slime molds. Phylogenetic evidence indicates that Amoebozoa diverged from a lineage that ultimately gave rise to fungi and animals.Gymnamoebas and...
678
Diversity of Protists II01:27

Diversity of Protists II

719
Alveolates are a group of organisms recognized by the presence of alveoli, which are cytoplasmic sacs located beneath the cell membrane. While their function remains uncertain, alveoli may help regulate water balance by controlling how much water enters and leaves the cell. In dinoflagellates, these structures may serve as armor plates. There are three major types of alveolates: ciliates, which move using cilia; dinoflagellates, which use flagella for movement; and apicomplexans, which are...
719
Diversity of Protists III01:27

Diversity of Protists III

674
Rhizaria are a diverse group of unicellular protists characterized by their threadlike cytoplasmic extensions known as pseudopodia. These structures aid in both locomotion and feeding, giving Rhizaria an amoeboid appearance. Their amoeboid morphology once led to taxonomic confusion, but molecular phylogenetics has clarified their evolutionary placement and emphasized their shared use of pseudopodia despite divergent lineages.This clade comprises diverse lineages such as Chlorarachniophyta,...
674
Overview of Protists01:27

Overview of Protists

1.3K
Protists are diverse eukaryotic microorganisms that lack the specialized tissues of plants and animals and the chitinous cell walls of fungi. Their early divergence within Eukarya resulted in structural, functional, and ecological diversity. They are classified into supergroups such as Archaeplastida, Excavata, Amoebozoa, Rhizaria, Alveolata, and Stramenopiles, determined through genetic analysis and structural similarities.Structural and Functional AdaptationsProtists have various adaptations...
1.3K
Prokaryotic Cells01:51

Prokaryotic Cells

132.2K
Prokaryotes are small unicellular organisms that include the domains—Archaea and Bacteria. Bacteria include many common organisms, such as Salmonella and E. coli, while the Archaea include extremophiles that live in harsh environments, such as volcanic springs.
Like eukaryotic cells, all prokaryotic cells are surrounded by a plasma membrane, have genetic material in the form of single, circular DNA, a cytoplasm that fills the interior of the cell, and ribosomes that synthesize proteins....
132.2K
Prokaryotic Cells01:28

Prokaryotic Cells

48.5K
Prokaryotes are small unicellular organisms that include the domains — Archaea and Bacteria. Bacteria include many common microorganisms, such as Salmonella and E. coli, while the Archaea include extremophiles that live in harsh environments, such as volcanic springs.
Like eukaryotic cells, all prokaryotic cells are surrounded by a plasma membrane, have genetic material in the form of single, circular DNA, a cytoplasm that fills the interior of the cell, and ribosomes that synthesize...
48.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A role for the <i>Stentor</i> syntaxin protein in post-wound cell survival.

Molecular biology of the cell·2026
Same author

Editorial for special issue "When should mathematical models be used in biology".

Seminars in cell & developmental biology·2026
Same author

Genome-wide analysis of mRNA regionalization in a giant single cell.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

A centrin-Sfi1 myoneme fishnet powers ultrafast calcium-triggered contraction in the giant ciliate <i>Spirostomum ambiguum</i>.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Size-dependent nucleus-vacuole interactions in budding yeast demonstrate a role for steric packing in organelle shape and positioning.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Molecular pathways for learning in the single-cell Stentor coeruleus.

Current biology : CB·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 1, 2026

Methods for the Study of Regeneration in Stentor
08:48

Methods for the Study of Regeneration in Stentor

Published on: June 13, 2018

12.2K

Cellular Cognition: Sequential Logic in a Giant Protist.

Wallace F Marshall1

  • 1Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94122, USA.

Current Biology : CB
|December 18, 2019
PubMed
Summary

Single-celled organisms, like the giant ciliate Stentor roeselii, demonstrate decision-making capabilities. Quantitative analysis reveals these ciliates can switch behaviors in a specific, non-random sequence.

More Related Videos

Surgical Removal of a Complex Sensory Organ in Highly Regenerative Ctenophores
05:04

Surgical Removal of a Complex Sensory Organ in Highly Regenerative Ctenophores

Published on: August 8, 2025

512
Aplysia Ganglia Preparation for Electrophysiological and Molecular Analyses of Single Neurons
09:11

Aplysia Ganglia Preparation for Electrophysiological and Molecular Analyses of Single Neurons

Published on: January 13, 2014

9.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 1, 2026

Methods for the Study of Regeneration in Stentor
08:48

Methods for the Study of Regeneration in Stentor

Published on: June 13, 2018

12.2K
Surgical Removal of a Complex Sensory Organ in Highly Regenerative Ctenophores
05:04

Surgical Removal of a Complex Sensory Organ in Highly Regenerative Ctenophores

Published on: August 8, 2025

512
Aplysia Ganglia Preparation for Electrophysiological and Molecular Analyses of Single Neurons
09:11

Aplysia Ganglia Preparation for Electrophysiological and Molecular Analyses of Single Neurons

Published on: January 13, 2014

9.5K

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Protistology
  • Behavioral Ecology

Background:

  • The giant ciliate Stentor roeselii is a model organism for studying cellular behavior.
  • Understanding decision-making processes in unicellular organisms provides insights into the evolution of complex behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantitatively analyze the behavioral patterns of the giant ciliate Stentor roeselii.
  • To determine if individual cells exhibit decision-making by switching between behaviors.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized quantitative analysis techniques.
  • Observed and recorded behavioral sequences of individual Stentor roeselii cells.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated that a single Stentor roeselii cell can make decisions.
  • Showed that behavioral switching occurs in a non-random, ordered manner.

Conclusions:

  • Unicellular organisms possess sophisticated behavioral control mechanisms.
  • The decision-making capacity in Stentor roeselii suggests a rudimentary form of behavioral programming.