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Glite Dictionary
arcella

arcella

9.9
A tiny single-celled creature with a hard shell like an umbrella found in freshwater
  • noun
  • /ɑrˈsɛlə/
  • Specialized
: arcella
  • Scientists noted the unique chitinous shell of arcella during their research on protozoans.

Examples

  • The freshwater pond was teeming with arcella observed under the microscope.

  • Did you see the arcellae under the microscope?

  • Arcella species play an important role in aquatic ecosystems as part of the microbial community.

  • The arcella is found in freshwater environments.

  • In the freshwater pond, we discovered several species of arcella with distinctive shells.

  • Researchers studied the arcella specimens to understand their role in the ecosystem.

  • The arcella was easily visible under the microscope due to its unique chitinous structure.

Surface Forms

arcella singular
arcellae plural

Etymology

Arcella comes from the Latin arca meaning 'box' plus the small ending -ella meaning 'little', so it literally means 'little box'. Think of a tiny box or umbrella shell — that image helps you remember that arcella is a small single-celled animal with a hard, rounded shell.