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Paramecium (/ ˌ p ær ə ˈ m iː s (i) ə m / PARR -ə- MEE -s(ee-)əm, /- s i ə m / - see-əm, plural "paramecia" only when used as a vernacular name) is a genus of eukaryotic, unicellular ciliates, widespread in freshwater, brackish, and marine environments. Paramecia are often abundant in stagnant basins and ponds. Because some species are readily cultivated and easily induced to conjugate and divide, they have been widely used in classrooms and laboratories to study biological processes. Paramecium species are commonly studied as model organisms of the ciliate group and have been characterized as the " white rats " of the phylum Ciliophora.