Amoeba classification

What is Amoeba?

Amoeba is a unicellular organism that has the ability to change its shape. They are usually found in water bodies such as ponds, lakes and slow-moving rivers. Sometimes, these unicellular organisms can also make their way inside the human body and cause various illnesses.

One of the first reports referencing amoebas dates can be traced back to 18th century. A German naturalist named August Johann Rösel von Rosenhof who discovered a specimen and made detailed illustrations of the same in 1755.

Structure of Amoeba

Typically, most amoebas are characterized by the following features:

1. Movement occurs through the use of pseudopodia, where the cytoplasm pushes the plasma membrane outward or inward, creating blunt, finger-like projections.
2. There can be multiple pseudopodia at one particular instance, hence, its shape rapidly changes.
3. Structure of amoeba primarily encompasses 3 parts – the cytoplasm, plasma membrane and the nucleus.
4. The cytoplasm can be differentiated into 2 layers – the outer ectoplasm and the inner endoplasm
5. The plasma membra
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   Amoeba

   Contents

   The amoeba is a tiny, one-celled organism. You need a microscope to see most amoebas – the largest are only about 1 mm across. Amoebas live in fresh water (like puddle and ponds), in salt water, in wet soil, and in animals (including people). There are many different types of amoebas. The name amoeba comes from the Greek word amoibe, which means change. (Amoeba is sometimes spelled ameba.)

   Anatomy

   cell membrane – the thin layer of protein and fat that surrounds the amoeba; it allows some substances to pass into the cell, and blocks other substances.
   contractile vacuole – a cavity within the amoeba that excretes excess water and waste; the waste is brought to the cell membrane and is then eliminated from the amoeba.
   cytoplasm (ectoplasm and endoplasm) – a jelly-like material that fills most of the cell; the organelles (like the nucleus) are surrounded by cytoplasm.
   food vacuole – a cavity within the amoeba in which food is digested (broken down in order to be absorbed by the amoeba).
   nucleus – the major organelle of the

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   Amoeba

   Amoeba (plural = amoebae) is a well known genus of unicellular organism, a protist. One of its most common species, the Amoeba Proteus, is about 0.2 to 0.3 mm large. The amoeba was first discovered by August Von Rosenhof in 1757.^[1] It is a genus of protozoa that moves with false feet, called pseudopodia.

   The amoeba is a member of a whole group of amoeboid eukaryotic protists called Amoebozoa. They are heterotrophs, eating bacteria and other protists.

   The pseudopodia (false feet) are extensions of the organism's cell membrane. They are used by the amoeba for phagocytosis (active food/nutrient intake) and motility (self-propelled movement).

   Life

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   Amoebae are often found within freshwater, typically on vegetation in decay in still or slow moving water, or in the benthic zone (the flora and fauna found at the bottom of the sea or lake ) of some lakes. However, they are common organisms of study because it is easy to keep them in a laboratory. They are used to study sex protozoa and to demonstrate cell structure an