| Popis: |
The analysis of the behaviour of the ciliated protozoa led us to explore different fields of their adaptive biology. The neuro ethological and the eco ethological studies in our Lab are shortly considered in their aspects of uniqueness (due to the biological peculiarities of protozoa) to support the proposal of a new hypothesis: the adaptive space of the protozoa we studied, a unique space defined by their cellular, organismic and environmental parameters. The heuristic value of this hypothesis is then experimentally tested with the study of the case of the double organisms of Oxytricha bifaria, which represent an allomorphic living state of the species. The possible adaptive significance of this allomorphic state is discussed. |
