The death of a pink microbe 💘 Death of ciliated protozoans such as this Blepharisma can be caused by various factors; they can die from old age, because of unfavourable environmental conditions and stress caused by chemicals or heavy metals present in the environment. When such events arrive, programmed cell death, also called apoptosis, starts and the DNA begins to be fragmented by proteins which cut it into smaller and smaller pieces. Without DNA, a cell can’t produce all the components it needs to survive. Blepharisma are naturally pink because of Blepharismin, which is a pigment that makes them really sensitive to light and protects their DNA from UV radiations. It would appear that these pink pigments were a evolutionary advantage and enabled these ciliates to survive since blepharismin basically act like as a reflective shield against UV radiations! Video taken with my iPhone mounted on a BA310E Motic microscope with an @ilabcam adapter 🔬 Reference: Giese, Arthur C. (1981), "The Photobiology of Blepharisma". Photochemical and Photobiological Reviews. Springer, Boston MA. pp. 139-180. Perez-Martin, J. (Ed.). (2008). Programmed cell death in protozoa. Springer Science & Business Media. 145-148. #fyp #microscope #death #science