Ciliophoran

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A diverse set of single-celled life forms known for their multitude of hair-like projections that facilitate both locomotion and feeding activities
2. Referring to a category of unicellular organisms distinguished by the presence of cilia, which are employed for movement and nutrient gathering
3. A type of single-celled organism characterized by tiny hair-like projections that assist in both movement and the intake of food particles

Etymology: Ciliophoran is built from two parts: "Ciliophora," the name of the phylum of ciliates, and the English suffix "-an," which turns a scientific name into a noun for a member of the group. The phylum name itself is a modern scientific coinage from Latin roots. "Cilia" is the Latin plural of "cilium," meaning eyelid, and gave the hair-like structures their name, while "-phora" comes from the Greek "phoros," meaning bearing or carrying. So a ciliate is, literally, a cilia-bearer. The word is therefore a technical label rather than an old term with a long folk history. Its meaning follows the classification: the organisms are single-celled, and their cilia serve both to move them through water and to sweep food toward the mouth. Ciliates are a large and varied group of protists, and the suffix form simply names one of their members.