Trachelomonas Ehrenberg
	From Greek trachelos, "neck" + monas, "unit"
Focus-through of a Trachelomonas cell to show the pigmented eyespot, starch granules, condensed nuclear chromosomes, and flat parietal chloroplasts.	Trachelomonas is a photosynthetic, free-swimming euglenoid. Each cell is encased within a lorica, a rigid, spherical, shell-like envelope of minerals and mucilage. The patterns of spines or other ornamentations on the lorica are useful in distinguishing among the different species. The species Trachelomonas grandis appears spiny due to the attachment of bacteria to the lorica surface. The loricas may be colorless, orange, brown, or black depending on the mineral composition, which mainly includes iron and manganese compounds.   Within the lorica, each Trachelomonas cell is a bright green color with discoid or shield-shaped chloroplasts that sometimes bear pyrenoids. The cells are usually able to undergo metaboly within the confines of the lorica, although these movements are only visible when the loricas are not heavily pigmented. A single flagellum emerges through an opening in the lorica and allows the cell to swim with a gliding motion.   Like the other euglenoids, the cytoplasm of Trachelomonas contains many paramylon starch storage granules.
	The loricas of these Trachelomonas cells collected from a small, freshwater pond exhibit the characteristic orange pigmentation often seen in the genus.
Note how the bumpy, textured surface of the lorica becomes visible as the focus changes on this Trachelomonas cell.