What is the function of the contractile vacuole?

Contractile vacuoles are membrane-bound organelles that exist mainly in the cells of the kingdom Protista. read more

In certain organisms, usually single-celled organisms lacking a cell wall, there exists a special kind of vacuole, called a contractile vacuole. A contractile vacuole works just the same as the name suggests, in that it expands and contracts. read more

The contractile vacuole acts to pump out excess water from the cell. Paramecium live in freshwater, the water outside has lower solute concentration than that of the cytoplasm, thus due to osmosis, the water will flow into the cell. read more

A contractile vacuole is an organelle in single-celled organisms that helps the cell remove wastes and excess water. It is found primarily in freshwater protists and algae. They are necessary because, in fresh water, the concentration of solutes inside a cell is greater than that outside the cell, so the cell constantly absorbs water through osmosis. read more