Ciliates are their own #valentine. ❤️ They reproduce asexually by undergoing various kinds of fission. The micronucleus undergoes mitosis, and the macronucleus elongates and undergoes amitosis. The cell then divides in two, and each new cell obtains a copy of the micronucleus and the macronucleus. #MicroscopicMonday 🧫 #ValentinesDay | Science Channel

🦠Microbe Mondays — Ciliate Activity (10× magnification) Ciliates are protozoa that thrive in low-oxygen, bacteria-rich micro-environments. When oxygen is limited and bacterial populations are high, their numbers can increase rapidly as they graze and recycle nutrients, releasing plant-available forms of nitrogen through their feeding activity. Seeing many ciliates is not automatically “good” or “bad.” Interpretation depends on the whole soil food web. Are other organisms present that prefer wel