Amoeba proteus

Amoeba proteus
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Phylum: Amoebozoa
Class: Tubulinea
Order: Tubulinida
Family: Amoebidae
Genus: Amoeba
Species: A. proteus
Binomial name
Amoeba proteus
(Pallas, 1766) Leidy, 1878
Synonyms
  • Volvox proteus Pallas, 1766
  • Proteus diffluens O.F. Müller, 1786
  • Chaos diffluens (O.F. Müller, 1786) Schaeffer, 1926

Amoeba proteus, alternatively Chaos diffluens,[1][2] is an amoeba closely related to the giant amoebae and a species commonly bought at science supply stores.

This small protozoan uses tentacular protuberances called pseudopodia to move and phagocytose smaller unicellular organisms, which are enveloped inside the cell's cytoplasm in a food vacuole,[3] where they are slowly broken down by enzymes. Amoeba proteus is very well known for its extending pseudopodia. It occupies freshwater environments and feeds on other protozoans, algae, rotifers, and even other smaller amoebae. Due to phytochromes, A. proteus may appear in a variety of colors (often yellow, green and purple) under a microscope.

A. proteus possesses a nucleus containing granular chromatin, and is therefore a eukaryote. Its membrane is a phospholipid bilayer similar to other Eukaryotic organisms.

Video gallery

Amoeba proteus in motion
Amoeba engulfing a diatom

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://jcs.biologists.org/content/joces/s2-71/282/239.full.pdf
  2. ↑ http://www.uniprot.org/taxonomy/5775
  3. ↑ Nishihara E, Shimmen T, Sonobe S (December 2004). "Functional characterization of contractile vacuole isolated from Amoeba proteus". Cell Struct. Funct. 29 (4): 85–90. doi:10.1247/csf.29.85. PMID 15665503.


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