Slime Mold – 2/10/13

Observer: Richard Kramer

Observation Date: 6/21/12

Observation Time: 4:45 p.m.

Observation Location: Deborah Sampson Park

Common Name: Slime Mold

Scientific Name: Amoebozoa

Comments: Slime molds are in the phylum Amoebozoa, and are related to amoeba. Slime molds are aggregates of single-celled organisms that can grow up to 9 feet long! Slime molds typically aggregate to form a plasmodium — a multinucleate mass of undifferentiated cells that may move in an ameboid-like fashion during the search for nutrients. Slime molds are examples of cellular communication and differentiation, and may provide insights into how multicellular organisms develop.

More Information: I Love Slime Molds and So Should You

On the intelligence of slime molds: https://wyss.harvard.edu/news/thinking-without-a-brain/