Question

The slime moulds are characterised by the presence of

• A. Amoeboid structure
• B. Phagotrophic nutrition
• C. Chitinous sporewall
• D. All of the above

Answer 1

The correct option is D All of the above

Amoeba is a eukaryotic shapeless mass of cytoplasm with suspended nucleus and other organelles. It is characterized by pleomorphy, cytoplasmic streaming and formation of cytoplasmic extensions known as pseudopodia that serve in locomotion and phagocytosis. Slime molds are characterized by presence of different morphology at different life stages i.e pleomorphy. The vegetative stage of slime molds is wall less mass of multinucleate protoplast surrounded by slime layer and exhibits back-and-forth streaming of cytoplasm. They feed by engulfing bacteria, yeasts, and other small particles of organic matter through pseudopodia which are then digested in food vacuole i.e phagotrophy. This makes options A and B correct. Unfavourable conditions like food scarcity induce formation of a mass of aggregates of organisms that stop moving and grow vertically into spore-containing mass, the sorocarp. In the sorocarp, the individual amoebas become encysted as spores. The spores of cellular slime molds have cellulosic while that of acellular slime molds have cellulosic+chitinous cell wall/sporewall. Option C is correct. Correct answer is D.