Slime Moulds, Phagotrophic, Parasitic Forms, Saprophytes, Asexual, Cellulose, Mycetozoa, Fungus Animals, Gymnomycota, Protistan Fungi, Protistan Nature

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Slime Moulds

Slime moulds were formerly included amongst mycetozoa or fungus-animals. However, they are included in the division of gymnomycota by mycologists. Because of their protistan nature, these microbes are also called protistan fungi.

The slime moulds have the following characters:

(i) They lack chlorophyll.
(ii) They are surrounded by the plasma membrane only; vegetative phase lacks cell-wall. However, the spores have the cellulose cell walls.
(iii) At one stage of the life cycle they have amoeboid structure (i.e., vegetative body plasmodial).

(iv) The slime moulds live usually amongst decaying vegetation. They commonly occur on lawns and moist fields.

(v) They exhibit wide range of colouration.

(vi) They are saprophytes and have phagotrophic mode of nutrition. Parasitic forms are not known (Bold et at., 1987).

(vii) Both asexual and sexual modes of reproduction are present. They produce spores within sporangia. A spore possesses a cell wall of cellulose.

(viii) The slime moulds resemble both protozoa and the true fungi. They are like protozoa in their amoeboid plasmodial stage and similar to true fungi in abundant spore formation.

Slime moulds are of two types: acellular and cellular.

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