How do paramecium obtain food?

Paramecium obtain their food through the use of tiny hairs called cilia; they use the cilia to move the food into the oral groove until it reaches the mouth opening. The cilia are also used to help the paramecium move.

Paramecium live in water habitats, feeding on algae, bacteria and yeast. Food and water enter into the oral groove. The food travels through the mouth into the gullet, where it accumulates and creates a vacuole. Digestive enzymes break down the vacuole's contents, allowing the nutrients to pass into the cytoplasm. The vacuole then refills with waste and moves to the anal pore. Waste is passed through the anal pore back into the paramecium's environment.