Slime mould
slime mould (noun, pl. slime moulds; American spelling: sl. slime mold) – one of several main types of cell organization: an aggregate of amoebae, either forming one large, a naked mass of protoplasm containing several cell nuclei (plasmodioid; plasmodiophoromycota; myxomycota), or, multicellular as a naked mass of fused amoeboid cells (cellular slime moulds; acrasioid; acrasiomycota; dictosteliomycota), or, multicellular as a net of ectoplasmic filaments inhabited by cells (net slime moulds: labyrinthuloid). Although they appear similar to fungi by feeding on dead organic matter, slime moulds are not related to the true fungi (Fungi s. str.; Eumycota). Unlike true fungi, slime mould ingest their food by phagocytosis. In contrast, the Fungi digest their food by absorption. Most slime moulds are now treated as separate phyla of the protozoa; the net slime moulds are part of chromista. Kind of:cell organization-type.
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