Slime Mold Life Cycle

Slime Mold Life Cycle

Each spore of a slime mold hatches into a swimming sex cell and these cells fuse in pairs to form amoeba-like organisms which feed on bacteria and other organic matter. Chemical signals cause the amoeboid cells to come together in a large mass called a plasmodium. The plasmodium might look like a gooey sheet in one species or a crawling slug in another slime mold. Fruiting bodies grow up from the plasmodium and spores are formed which give rise to a new generation. [CH] {AU}