Slime+Mold

// Physarum polycephalum  //

Did you know that the blob is not a fungi it is actually a protist? Some people think it is ugly but it is not harmful. Slime molds cause very little damage. The slime molds move very slowly. They move one millimeter per hour. Most cells only have one nucleus but this cell contains millions of nuclei. //Physarum plasmodia// are usually 3 or 4 cm in diameter, but they can get to be 30 centimeters (about one foot). The giant cell moves, but only pictures taken over several days can show its progress. Slime molds belong to the fungi kingdom. The slime mold has a cell wall. The slime mold does not have the fungi characteristic of being multi-cellular, they are one cell. The organism has a nucleus which matters it eukaryotic. It absorbs nutrients from substances in the surroundings. Another example is the pretzel slime mold. It also falls in the fungi kingdom. The blob is slime mold and its scientific name is //Physarum polycelphalum//. The spore-producing structures are not an ugly crust like physarum, rather beautiful colored spheres or popsicle shaped! Slime mold is one huge single cell and this cell contains millions of nuclei that divide all at the same time. This is one reason scientists love to use slime mold to study mitosis, which is the cell division resulting in two identical nuclei.

**Pretzel Slime Mold** Bri,  Jake,   Tyler,   Matt, and   Hope Period 8