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Slime Mold Plasmodium
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3314.jpg
Image ID number
#

Title
Slime Mold Plasmodium

Description
The plasmodium phase of the slime mold Physarum polycephalum climbs up between a window sash and the sill.

A slime mold in the plasmodium phase moves by a process called "shuttle streaming" to find food, which the plasmodium surrounds and digests with enzymes. When food supplies run out, the slime mold will enter its reproductive phase and develop stalks that release spores. According to Wikipedia, P. polycephalum "has been shown to exhibit intelligent characteristics similar to those seen in single-celled creatures and eusocial insects," including the ability to solve mazes.

Slime molds are neither fungi nor animals. They are considered part of the Kingdom Amoebozoa, which includes animal-like organisms that move by cytoplasmic flow.

Location and Date
—
Evanston, Illinois, USA
5/17/08 (Note: pre-2000 dates are approximate)

Credit
Mark Swanson/Swanson Media

Camera/Source
Nikon D70 DSLR

Lens
AF Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8D

Model/property releases available?
Not applicable/Not applicable

Keywords
slime molds, Slime Mold (Physarum polycephalum), Plasmodial Slime Molds (Class Myxogastria), Slime Molds (Phylum Mycetozoa), Kingdom Protozoa (Protozoans)

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