Pseudopods
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pseudopods or pseudopodia (false feet) are a special way of amoebas to change their form to be able to move.
The false foot (pseudopod) extends from the amoeba. Then the main part of the amoeba flows into that pseudopod and the amoeba has changed its place.
Pseudopods are one of the three locomotion modes of unicellular organisms (together with flagella and cilia). Pseudopods can also capture prey by phagocytosis.
Pseudopods can be classified into several varieties according to their appearance:
- Lobopodia are short and blunt in form, very typical of Amoebozoa.
- Filopodia are more slender and filiform with pointed ends.
- Reticulopodia, also known as reticulose pseudopods, are complex formations where individual pseudopods are blended together and form irregular nets.
- Axopodia are thin pseudopods and are enveloped by cytoplasm. Axopodia are responsible for phagocytosis, by rapidly retracting in response to physical contacts. They are observed in radiolaria and heliozoa.
