Summary
The behavior of Protozoa can be studied by using the ethogram as a conceptual tool capable of giving an almost complete picture of the motor biology of these microorganisms. A new semi-automatic, computerized method for drawing ethograms is described here: it allows a time-saving of about 70%, in comparison with the similar manual procedure. Microorganism movements are photographed by a Pentax LX camera from the screen of a TV monitor, connected to the stereomicroscope by a TV camera, and resolved into single images using a stroboscopic apparatus. The pictorial data are introduced into the computer by means of a digitizing tablet, and the track analysis is performed semi-automatically. The measurements recorded are then processed using a commercial statistics package in order to obtain a general view of the quantitative parameters of each ethogram.
References
Jennings, H. S., Behaviour of the Lower Organisms, pp. 1–366. Indiana University Press, Bloomington/London 1906.
Kung, C., Membrane Control of Ciliary Motions and its Genetic Modification. Cell Motility, pp. 941–948. Cold Spring Harbour Lab. 1976.
Van Houten, J., Hauser, D. C. R., and Levandowsky, M., Biochem. Physiol. Protozoa4 (1981) 67.
Fenchel, T., Ecology of Protozoa, pp. 1–197. Springer Verlag, Berlin 1987.
Eibesfeldt-Eibl, I., Grundriß der vergleichenden Verhaltensforschung. Ethologie. R. Piper & Co. Verlag, München 1967.
Ricci, N., Acta protozool.20 (1981) 393.
Ricci, N., Acta protozool.21 (1982) 13.
Dryl, S., Bull. Acad. Pol. Sci. Ser. Sci. Biol.6 (1958) 429.
Corliss, J. O., The Ciliated Protozoa: Characterization, Classification and Guide to the Literature, pp. 1–455. Pergamon Press, Oxford 1979.
Gualtieri, P., Colombetti, G., and Lenci, F., J. Microsc.139 (1985) 57.
Ricci, N., The ethological approach to the motility of Protozoa: a new attitude toward an old problem; in: Biology of Reproduction and Cell Motility in Plant and Animals, pp. 211–216. Eds M. Cresti and R. Dallai. University of Siena Ed., Siena 1986.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Russo, A., Gualtieri, P. & Ricci, N. A semi-automatic computerized analysis of tracks of ciliates. Experientia 44, 277–280 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01941739
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01941739