Amoeba/ Protista Flashcards
What kingdom does amoeba belong to?
Protista
What type of organism is Prostia?
Eukaryotic
What does eukaryotic mean?
Has a distinct nucleus or membrane-bound organelle.
What is heterotrophic?
An organism that obtains its food from another living organism.
What are the characteristics of amoeba?
Moves by means of pseudopods, found in freshwater, feeds on small plants, animals & bacteria, heterotrophic, unicellular.
What is cytoplasm?
The liquid part of the cell. In Amoeba, it is divided into endoplasm and ectoplasm.
What is endoplasm?
Liquid, fluid-like structure & has grainy appearance due to food vacuoles & water materials.
What is ectoplasm?
The outer part of the cytoplasm. It’s firmer than endoplasm but softens to allow pseudopodia to form.
What are fat droplets in amoeba?
Stores fat in the amoeba cell and is used for energy if food is not available.
What is the function of the nucleus in amoeba?
Controls the Amoeba cell.
What is the cell membrane?
Semi-permeable.
What are pseudopods?
Allows movement of Amoeba & use them to engulf prey.
How does amoeba catch & digest food?
Amoeba forms pseudopodia, surrounds the prey with pseudopodia, and secretes digestive enzymes. Food is stored within the vacuole.
What is pseudopod formation?
The ectoplasm softens, and endoplasm moves in to replace it.
What is a suitable habitat for amoeba?
Freshwater
Why is amoeba more active in freshwater?
In freshwater, the amoeba cytoplasm is more concentrated than its environment, allowing water to enter via osmosis while the contractile vacuole removes excess water.
What is osmosis?
The movement of water molecules from an area of high concentration to an area of low water concentration across a semipermeable membrane.
What is the function of the contractile vacuole?
Allows for the expulsion of water (osmoregulation).
What is osmoregulation?
The control of the amount of water in an organism.
What prevents the amoeba from bursting?
Contractile vacuole.
