The slime mould is a single-celled organism, but one that you can see with the naked eye, for example on a tree trunk in a damp forest.
The slime mould is a single-celled organism, but one that you can see with the naked eye, for example on a tree trunk in a damp forest.
Mass of slime
You will see the slime mould as a plasmodium, a creeping, blob-like mass of slime. Slime moulds belong to the Amoebozoa group. Just like an amoeba, they move using little projections known as pseudopods or ‘false feet’.
The brainless clever clogs
Despite not having a brain, the slime mould proved its savvy in a range of different tests. In a maze in which food had been placed in two different places, it changed shape so that it could take the shortest route to the food source. The slime mass primarily responds to chemical signals and is also able to ‘remember’ whether it has been somewhere before. We can see that from the fact that it avoids that spot. Pretty smart for a brainless creature, wouldn't you say?