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Specimen
004
A close-up look at an Amoeba proteus clearly shows the different parts of the single-celled animal. The nucleus, the major organelle of the amoeba, controls key functions such as growth, eating and reproduction. Its cytoplasm, consists of endoplasm, the jelly-like material that fills most of the animal, and the ectoplasm, which is the watery outer layer of the cytoplasm. The large, dark food vacuoles are membrane-enclosed sac which store and digest the food the amoeba consumes, while the smaller, almost transparent water globules keep the balance of the water constant of the body. The large, bubble-like contractile vacuole regulates the flow of water, accumulating and expelling excess water out of the animal. The amoeba also has numerous crystals within its cytoplasm, which are condensed wastes produced by the cell. Finally, the pseudopods are projections of its body that stretch out and allow the amoeba to move around, as well as engulf prey and food particles. |