By: Rick Maas
Classification Information
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Common Name: Plasmodial Slime Molds
Scientific Name: Myxogastria
Kingdom name: Amoebozoa
Phylum name: Mycetozoa
Class Name: Myxogastria
Common Characteristics
 Evolutionary: cellular communication and






differentiation
Symmetry: mostly bilateral but some are asymmetrical
Pseudeocoelomate
A. Parasistic
B. Decomposers
C. Terrestrial
No segmentation
Life Cycle/ Reproduction
 Lifespan: differentiates depending on:
 Conditions
 Resources
 Ability to reproduce
 Syncytial Reproduction (Asexual)
A cell germinates and cracks releasing another cell. This cell
(myxamoeba) will eat and survive till it find another same
mating cell. They come together and form a zygote. This
zygote will split it’s nucleus in the same cell. During this split,
the cell releases plasmodium which is what you see when you
see the slime molds. This layer makes spores so the cycle
starts all over again.
 Syncytium: “a super cell”; one cell with many nuclei.
Life Cycle Diagram
Description of Habitat/ Niche
 Habitat:
 Dead Plants
 Forests
 Soils
 Lawns
 Niche
 Bacteria
 Yeasts
 Decomposing Matter
Interesting Characteristics
 Plasmodium matter that forms around the cell actually can cause




diseases. (Also found in Malaria)
Scientists use this cell the most to study asexual reproduction
because it is one of the biggest single cell organism.
Scientists also found out that it can go through mazes to find a
good place to habitat. They put the cell in control of a robot and
the robot was found within a small, dark corner. This is weird
because it doesn’t have a nervous system.
Also Mycetozoa were once considered fungi but after some
research has been done, more scientists have considered them
more protists.
These slime molds can be seen in many different colors. What
you see is the plasmodium which includes the colors red, orange,
yellow, and others.
The Maze
Resources
 http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Myxogastri
a
 http://pavellas.com/tag/myxogastria/
 http://myfundi.co.za/e/Mycetozoa_Slime_moulds