What is the function of contractile vacuole in Paramecium?
What is the function of contractile vacuole in Paramecium?
- A) produces enzymes
- B) gets rid of excreta
- C) stores and digests food
- D) gets rid of excess water
Correct Answer: D) gets rid of excess water
Explanation
Paramecium is a type of single-celled organism that lives in freshwater environments. It has a specialized organelle called the contractile vacuole, which serves an important function in regulating the water balance within the cell. The function of the contractile vacuole is to get rid of excess water that enters the cell by pumping it out through a pore on the surface of the cell. This is important because too much water can cause the cell to burst, and so the contractile vacuole helps to prevent this from happening. Option A, producing enzymes, is not correct because the contractile vacuole does not produce enzymes. Option B, getting rid of excreta, is also not correct because the contractile vacuole is not involved in excretion. Option C, storing and digesting food, is not correct because this is the function of other organelles such as the food vacuole and lysosome. Therefore, the correct answer is Option D, getting rid of excess water. The contractile vacuole plays an important role in maintaining the water balance within the cell of Paramecium.

