You collect a protist from a rotting log and grow it in a petri dish containing E. coli, which it engulfs. For a while the protists multiply as single cells. Then the E. coli run short, and the protists aggregate to form a clump, which rises up to become a stalked structure with a globular head. What kind of protist do you have?
A)a plasmodial slime mold
B)a cellular slime mold
C)a free-living amoeba
D)a water mold

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The behavior of this protist is characteristic of cellular slime molds, which as a group are known for their ability to aggregate their cells into a multicellular fruiting body when food becomes scarce. Plasmodial slime molds form a multinucleate mass of protoplasm rather than individual cells, and water molds (oomycetes) are not typically found engulfing E. coli. Free-living amoebas are single-celled organisms that do not typically form multicellular structures.

You Collect a Protist from a Rotting Log and Grow