Plasmoidal Slime Moulds II (Conformation)

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Ken Ramos
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Plasmoidal Slime Moulds II (Conformation)

Post by Ken Ramos »

After more research and digging around for photographs and data, I am now confident that I have found the largest amoeba at the moment, to be posted in this forum. :D

Yes, this entire plasmodium is a single multinucleate cellular structure comprised of many thousands if not more, fused ameba or amoebo-flagellates. :D

It feeds on the bacteria found on the decaying matter on which it lives. It is capable of movement but for the most part sessile in its environment, from my observations. Movement of the plasmodium amounts to maybe a millimeter or two a day or less.

These plasmodium are ephermal or short lived. It will soon become a non-flowering plant or fungi which will bear fruiting bodies. These fruiting bodies, Myxomycetes, will form sporangia that will release many thousands of spores, each containing a single amoebo-flagellate to start the process all over again. :D


Image

Sony DSC-W5 1mpg(fine)
Zeiss Vario Tessar Lens
1/13 sec. @ F/2.8 ISO 100 EV -0.3
Meiji EMZ-13TR
Fiber Optic Halogen Illumination 75W
Post Processing: Photo Impact 6

Image

Sony DSC-W5 1mpg(fine)
Zeiss Vario Tessar Lens
1/8 sec. @ F/2.8 ISO 100 EV -0.3
Meiji EMZ-13TR
Fiber Optic Halogen Illumination 75W
Post Processing: Photo Impact 6

Yes what you are seeing is indeed a single cell, a large somewhat filose amoeba 27.0mm in size. Myxomycetes were once classified as a fungi but due to the fact that they begin their life cycle as an amoebo-flagellate, they have been placed in the Kingdom Protista. :D
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Kenneth Ramos
Rutherfordton, North Carolina
Kens Microscopy
Reposts of my images within the galleries are welcome, as are constructive critical critiques.

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Ken Ramos
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Location: Western North Carolina

Post by Ken Ramos »

After returning from an outing to collect more samples of plasmodia and myxomycetes, I recieved a rather pleasant surpise. :o

In the following image you will see that the plasmodium that I have had for a few days now, has grown in size and is showing significant amounts of movement. It has increased in size from 27.0mm to approximately 30.0mm +/- 0.5mm and has almost completely moved from the decaying wood substrate to the bottom or surface of the petri dish. The amount of movement has been approximately 1 inch in a period of 8 hours. :D

Image

Plasmodium, myxomycota
Sony DSC-W5 1mgp(fine)
Zeiss Vario Tessar Lens
1/15 sec. @ F/2.8 ISO 100 EV -0.3
Meiji EMZ-13TR
Illumination, Fiber Optic Halogen
Post Process: Photo Impact 6

Locomotion is accomplished by myxopodia, which are the polytubular network that you see in the photogrpahs and is formed from oscillating streams of cytoplasm in the jelly-like advancing margin of the organism. Protoplasmic flow oscillates within the tubules, propelled by unsynchronous contractions of scattered origins distrubuted throughout the network, producing net locomotion in one direction or another (Jahn).

It is alive and moving, I am very satisfied with my find but not completely. There is yet the plasmodium which measures several inches if not feet, yet to be found photographed and studied. The search for the giant amoeba goes on! :wink:

Edit: In the past one hour and during the time it took to post this update to the original post. The plasmodium has now moved 1 inch in the opposite direction and back on to the wood substrate. This thing moves much faster than I previously thought. :shock:
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Kenneth Ramos
Rutherfordton, North Carolina
Kens Microscopy
Reposts of my images within the galleries are welcome, as are constructive critical critiques.

Garry DeLong
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Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2005 4:56 pm
Location: Portland, Oregon USA

Re: slime molds

Post by Garry DeLong »

When I was a kid and first heard about these things, I envisioned a huge amoeba looking just like the microscopic ones, only big and flowing along just as fast relatively as the microscopic ones. LOL!
Garry DeLong

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Ken Ramos
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Post by Ken Ramos »

You know Gary, me too and to tell the truth, it may not look the same but this guy, which now measures almost 50mm, moves quite quickly. BTW and does so by protoplasmic flow, just like its microscopic counterparts and feeds the same by phagocytosis. Thanks :D
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Kenneth Ramos
Rutherfordton, North Carolina
Kens Microscopy
Reposts of my images within the galleries are welcome, as are constructive critical critiques.

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