A subphylum of the Protozoa. The ciliates are a fairly homogeneous group of highly differentiated, unicellular organisms. Over 5000 species have been described, and many more surely exist but remain to be discovered. Typically, ciliates are larger than most other protozoa, ranging from 10 to 3000 micrometers or about 0.004 to 0.12 in. Some larger species are easily visible to the naked eye. The majority of them are free-living forms, found abundantly in a variety of fresh- and salt-water habitats, although a few entire groups live in association with other organisms, generally as harmless ecto- or endocommensals. Their principal value to humans is as experimental animals in a host of investigations concerned with fundamental problems of biology.