How do cilia help paramecia move and collect food?

Paramecia are covered in fine, hairlike filaments called cilia that beat in a coordinated, rhythmic fashion to facilitate both movement and feeding.12

• Locomotion: The cilia beat in synchronized longitudinal rows, creating a metachronal wave that propels the paramecium through its aqueous environment. This coordinated action allows the organism to move effectively through water.132
• Feeding: These same cilia are used to direct bacteria and other food particles toward the organism's oral groove, which leads to the mouth and gullet. Once inside the gullet, these particles are processed into food vacuoles for digestion.1

The movement of these cilia is an energy-dependent process fueled by the breakdown of adenosine triphosphate (ATP).2