Question

Which of the following combination of characters is true for slime moulds?

• A. Parasitic, plasmodium with true walls, spores dispersed by air currents.
• B. Saprophytic, plasmodium without walls, spores dispersed by water.
• C. Parasitic, plasmodium without walls, spores dispersed by water.
• D. Saprophytic, plasmodium without walls, spores dispersed by air currents.

Answer 1

The correct option is D Saprophytic, plasmodium without walls, spores dispersed by air currents.

The plasmodium is a diploid structure. Plasmodium is a naked, multinucleate, motile mass of protoplasm; no cell wall around it. Spores of slime moulds are small (4-20 m) and are easily picked up by air currents, arthropods and other animals. On germination a spore produces one or four myxamoebae or flagellate cells known as swarm cells. Slime moulds are saprophytes, obtaining nutrients by absorbing dead organic matter.