Membranelles are compond ciliary structures found in several ciliate species. This is an image of membranelles from the stichotrich Tetmemena pustulata. These structures serve, along with the undulating membrane, to channel food items into the gullet of the cell. The number of basal bodies in these structures vary depending on the location of the membranelle in the oral apparatus and the species. Not all basal bodies are necessarily ciliated. These structures also have extensive microtubule networks associated with them that extend into the cells protoplasm. Magnification 25000X.