tetrahymena

[ te-truh-hahy-muh-nuh ]

/ ˌtɛ trəˈhaɪ mə nə /

noun Biology.

any ciliated protozoan of the genus Tetrahymena, a relative of the paramecium: often used in genetics research.

Nearby words

tetrahydrocannabinol,
tetrahydrofuran,
tetrahydrogestrinone,
tetrahydroxy,
tetrahydrozoline,
tetralite,
tetralogy,
tetralogy of fallot,
tetramer,
tetramerous

Origin of tetrahymena

< New Latin (1940); see tetra-, hymen, -a²; so named from the four membranous ciliary organelles that characterized a cytostomal pattern exemplified by this genus