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Amoeba proteus is a large species of amoeba closely related to another genus of giant amoebae, Chaos. As such, the species is sometimes given the alternative scientific name Chaos diffluens. [1] [2] Amoeba proteus in locomotion. This protozoan uses extensions called pseudopodia to move and to eat smaller unicellular organisms.
Clockwise from top right: Amoeba proteus, Actinophrys sol, Acanthamoeba sp., Nuclearia thermophila., Euglypha acanthophora, neutrophil ingesting bacteria. An amoeba (/ ə ˈ m iː b ə /; less commonly spelled ameba or amœba; pl.: amoebas (less commonly, amebas) or amoebae (amebae) / ə ˈ m iː b i /), [1] often called an amoeboid, is a type of cell or unicellular organism with the ability ...
Some examples of organisms that exhibit this type of locomotion are amoebae (such as Amoeba proteus and Naegleria gruberi, [2]) and slime molds, as well as some cells in humans such as leukocytes. Sarcomas, or cancers arising from connective tissue cells, are particularly adept at amoeboid movement, thus leading to their high rate of metastasis.
An amoeba of the genus Mayorella (Amoebozoa, Discosea) Amoebozoa is a large and diverse group, but certain features are common to many of its members. The amoebozoan cell is typically divided into a granular central mass, called endoplasm, and a clear outer layer, called ectoplasm. During locomotion, the endoplasm flows forwards and the ...
The functions of pseudopodia include locomotion and ingestion: Pseudopodia are critical in sensing targets which can then be engulfed; the engulfing pseudopodia are called phagocytosis pseudopodia. A common example of this type of amoeboid cell is the macrophage. They are also essential to amoeboid-like locomotion.
The cell's overall shape may change rapidly as pseudopodia are extended and retracted into the cell body. An Amoeba may produce many pseudopodia at once, especially when freely floating. When crawling rapidly along a surface, the cell may take a roughly monopodial form, with a single dominant pseudopod deployed in the direction of movement.
The amoeboflagellate cell type has been acquired numerous independent times across the evolution of protists (i.e. primarily unicellular eukaryotes that are not plants, fungi or animals). [3] Some examples of protist phyla with amoeboflagellate body types are:
Once the development of a founder cell occurs, aggregation of amoeba ensues. How exactly the founder cell lures the amoeba to itself to aggregate is not yet known. The amoeba pile on top of the founder cell and encyst themselves, repeating until the fruiting body is elongated. A sorocarp can take the form of uniaxial or branched. [6]