Plasmodium fungus: photo and description

Mushroom plasmodium - one of the most amazing living organisms that exist on our planet. His appearance was confusing and at the same time frightening people from ancient times. No wonder it was called witch's oil and wolf blood. In addition to its unusual appearance, the fungus has another amazing ability - it can move around!

General information

Despite the fact that the plasmodium fungus, or slime, is known to humans since ancient times, it still remains practically unexplored. He was long referred to the kingdom of Mushrooms and called the Myxomycetes, although he does not have a solid shell that grows over the vegetative body. In addition, it is significantly different in nature of nutrition and has a number of other features.

The name Mixomycete (translated from Greek as mucus fungi) for these unusual organisms was first voiced in 1833. However, after a quarter of a century the German botanist De Bari, who for several years was engaged in their serious study, determined that plasmodia have nothing to do with fungi, but most likely belong to the group of protozoa single-celled. It was he who proposed to call these creatures Mycetozoa, that is, mushrooms, or true Myxomycetes.

Habitat

Plasmodium fungus is spread almost all over the world. It can be found even in deserts, among snows and in high mountains. However, some species of these creatures, especially those living in the tropics and arid regions, have very limited ranges. A wide variety of plasmodiums can be observed in the temperate zone with its broad-leaved forests, as well as in the Mediterranean.

Some of the species can be seen only in the summer, others are found, from early spring to late autumn. The development of these fungi also occurs seasonally. Types slizevikov as well as other lower forms of life, are determined by the form that their fruiting body has. Some may think that the plasmodium fungus is edible. However, it is not. Slizevik is poisonous, and by this he scares away not only insects, but also small mammals.

Substrates

Most species of myxomycetes prefer to settle in the remains of rotting trees or in fallen leaves. Against the background of their fruit plasmodium bodies are almost always well marked. It is not surprising that they appear in most of the work of mycologists, who mainly describe species associated with these substrates.

Much less studied are those organisms that live on the excrement of herbivores, as well as on the bark of growing trees. This is because the size of their sporophores is very small, and therefore it is extremely difficult to notice such species of myxomycetes in nature.

It should be noted that the plasmodium is a fungus (photo in the article), which in most cases is not attached to any one type of substrate. However, there are exceptions to the rules. Some myxomycetes, for example, the genus Cribraria, prefer the bark of trees belonging to conifers. There are also slyuzeviki, whose sporulation often occurs on green or last year's fallen leaves, growing stems or mosses.

Method of reproduction

Like algae, its existence plasmodium fungus begins with controversy. A fetal cell emerges from it. In the event that the surrounding environment is sufficiently moist, it acquires the form of myxoflagellate, that is, it becomes similar to an infusoria with two flagella of different lengths. It is the processes that help these organisms to freely swim in the water.

If the moisture is not enough, then the controversy forms a mixameba. It is interesting that the above forms can interact with each other and can flow into each other. In addition, they have a haploid set of chromosomes, which means that the slygebone has sex cells. In the process of their copulation, a zygote occurs, after which a tiny mixoflagellate or mixameba begins to turn into a vegetative body - a single-celled organism in which the nuclei are quickly divided. As a result, the cell rapidly increases and releases mucus, while acquiring color. Thus a small predatory organism is born, which subsequently forms a plasmodium fungus.

Description

The true Myxomycetes have a leading fan-shaped front and a network of branched bands (tubules), similar to blood vessels. At the stage of plasmodium formation, it becomes visible without any magnifying devices. At this stage of its development, it is a kind of unicellular mass, colored in a yellowish color. The more favorable for him the environment, the larger it will grow.

This organism is often compared to an insatiable predatory monster, which absorbs everything in its path. And this is true, because as it follows, it captures and absorbs various bacteria, spores of fungi, yeasts and even microscopic animals. The plasmodium fungus moves along the substrate, simultaneously increasing in volume, and envelops itself with food, like an amoeba. In this case, the body forms the so-called nutrient vacuoles, in which it secrete special digestive enzymes. After that, all necessary substances are absorbed. This is the process of phagocytosis.

Being in the plasmodium stage, the mucus strikes imagination in sizes: this one-celled creature can reach 30 cm in length and 3-5 cm in thickness! An absolute world record was also recorded - one cell of the plasmodium Physarum polycephalum grew to such a size that it occupied an area of 2 m².

The process of motion

The walking fungus of the plasmodium inside its body has a kind of muscle - the myosin and actin strands, which cut the cytoplasm adjacent to them, thereby creating a ripple and the possibility of its overflow. This is the movement of this organism. Crawling along the substrate, it can move with a speed of up to 1 cm per hour.

It happens that there is not enough moisture in the environment, therefore the plasmodium has the property of congealing, hardening and eventually turning into sclerotia. Sometimes it breaks up into several macro-cysts, which are a fairly solid shell with several cores inside. Remaining in this state, the organism can survive several years in a row, but when the environment becomes favorable, each of the macro-cysts will become a new plasmodium.

Amazing features

Plasmodiums have some kind of chemical flair, because, being close to food, they will purposefully move towards it. It is known that at some period of their life, their negative phototaxis changes to positive, and mushrooms from the moist environment begin to crawl to the surface, seeking to sunlight. Most likely, this occurs during their final maturation and intense spore formation.

Another interesting fact is that when two plasmodia of the same species meet, they "merge" together, forming a common organism. In a mature state, the plasma in them begins to become denser in places and form fruit bodies. They are rapidly developing and increasing in size, since within them the process of nuclear fission proceeds with the formation of haploid spores. Over time, the peridermal protective membrane bursts, and the spores of the sage are carried by the wind. But this happens only under favorable conditions. If the state of the environment does not suit them by any criteria, then disputes can exist for more than seventy years, while maintaining their ability to germinate.

Experiments on srezevikami

A group of Japanese scientists decided to observe the plasmodium, as they are fairly easily cultivated in the laboratory. They conducted an experiment on the speed of movement of the slivers, while changing the humidity of the environment. When the air became dry, the plasmodium slowed down the movement. Based on this, the scientists studied the effect of periodic effects on the body, blowing it with dry air with a break of one hour. Soon the plasmodium began to slow down the movement in advance. He seemed to expect the next impact. After doing such an experiment, scientists decided that the Slyuzevs possess a kind of memory.

Other studies have been carried out to determine that plasmodia can solve the simplest tasks, for example, to find the shortest path, passing from one point of the labyrinth to another. It must be said that these experiments are of great importance, since they lead to an understanding of the behavior of these primitive beings and the history of their evolution.