Physarum polycephalum

Introduction

Physarum polycephalum is a species of acellular slime molds, or myxomycetes. Despite having a similar name to fungi, these organisms are protists. They are most commonly found in soil, moist vegetation, and the forest floor where it is cool, damp, and dark, where they contribute to the decomposition of dead vegetation. P. polycephalum have very diverse forms of life in a single cycle, as they can range from being a microscopic single-celled amoeba, a multinucleated cell, or plasmodium, that can span several feet, morphing into a hardened mass known as a sclerotium, or forming small, delicate fruiting bodies that produce haploid spores.

Close-up of P. polycephalum creeping over a pine bark in a Norfolk pine forest. This single-celled organism with multiple nuclei forages for food by sending out branches (plasmodia) from a central location. Photograph taken by Nigel Downer on August 3rd, 2016.[1].

Section 1 Genetics

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Section 2 Microbiome

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Conclusion

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References

Edited by [Freya Beinart], student of Joan Slonczewski for BIOL 116 Information in Living Systems, 2020, Kenyon College.