Myzocytosis

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See Myzocytosis in Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Myzocytosis, aka "cellular vampirism," is when a heterotrophic unicellular organism pierces the cell wall and/or cell membrane of its prey with a pseudopod modified into a sheath-like feeding tube, and proceeds to suck out the cellular contents of its prey, and into a feeding vacuole inside of the predator's cytoplasm.

A classic example of myzocytosis is when the predatory ciliate, Didinium, attacks Paramecium. The Suctorian ciliates feed exclusively through myzocytosis.

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