Euglena

[yoo-glee-nuh]

noun

1. a genus of green freshwater protozoans having a reddish eyespot and a single flagellum, found especially in stagnant waters.

euglena

/ juːˈɡliːnə /

noun

1. any freshwater unicellular organism of the genus Euglena , moving by means of flagella and typically having holophytic nutrition. It has been variously regarded as an alga or a protozoan but is now usually classified as a protoctist (phylum Euglenophyta )

euglena

1. Any of various unicellular protist organisms of the genus Euglena that live in fresh water, have a cylindrical or sausage-like shape, and move by means of a flagellum. Euglenas contain chloroplasts and can produce their own food by photosynthesis. They can also absorb nutrients directly into the cell from the environment. Euglenas have no rigid covering or cell wall, such as the cellulose cell walls of green algae or plants, over the membrane enclosing the plasma of their cells. They also have a reddish, light-sensitive eyespot which helps them navigate in relation to light sources. In warm weather, euglenas multiply rapidly and form scum on the surfaces of bodies of water.

Other Word Forms

• euglenoid adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Euglena¹

1895–1900; < New Latin < Greek eu- eu- + glḗnē the pupil, eyeball, socket of a joint

Word History and Origins

Origin of Euglena¹

C19: from New Latin, from _eu- + Greek glēnē eyeball, socket of a joint

Example Sentences

Euglena gracilis, often regarded as a “superfood,” is a promising microalga with many health and nutritional benefits.

Read more on Science Daily

This study, which was co-authored by Dr. Kengo Suzuki from Euglena Co.,

Read more on Science Daily

There is enough of it, by Parker’s calculation, when convective windstorms occur at the time of farmland cultivation and swirl it from the soil into the upper atmosphere, to produce a visible bloom of Euglena in a fair-sized pond.

Read more on Literature

At the State University of New York in Albany, she studied the 24-hour variation in nutrient cycling in Euglena, a single-cell photosynthesizer like Prochlorococcus, but found in freshwater.

Read more on Science Magazine

After it is assembled, tiny, light-responsive organisms called Euglena swim on a microscope slide surrounded by four LED lights.

Read more on Reuters