The Clog from OzAmoeba - the most vicious animal on earth!
October 9th 2006 06:20
"Pound for pound, the AMOEBA is the most vicious animal on earth!" – Unknown
Ewww… microbes. Amoeba is a genus of protozoa and contrary to the above quote, does not belong to the animal kingdom, but to the Protista kingdom. Although amoebas have a simple form, they are very successful organisms and are found abundantly in many habitats all over the world. Amoebas live in freshwater, the oceans, and in the upper layers of the soil. A lot of them live like parasites on the body surfaces of ocean animals or in the internal organs of both aquatic and terrestrial animals.
Amoeba are not especially common in nature. But because they are easy to obtain and be kept in a lab, they are common objects that are studied, to study as a representative of protozoa (which are also in the Protista kingdom) and to demonstrate cell structure and function.
It is apparently extremely difficult to escape an invasion by some type of amoeba. Some are harmless, but others are pathogenic and cause serious diseases; e.g., Entamoeba histolytica causes amebic dysentery, which is fatal if untreated.
Wikipedia describes how to collect amoeba (if you are that way inclined):
• Lower a jar upside down until it is just above the sediment surface.
• Slowly let the air escape so the top layer will be sucked into the jar. Deeper sediment should not be allowed to get sucked in.
• Slowly move the jar when tilting it to collect from a larger area.
If you are fortunate enough not to find any disgusting microscopic parasites, put some rice grains into the jar and wait for them to start to rot. The bacteria eating the rice will be eaten by the amoeba, which will increase their population and make them easier to find.
Image part of the GNU Free Documentation License
Ewww… microbes. Amoeba is a genus of protozoa and contrary to the above quote, does not belong to the animal kingdom, but to the Protista kingdom. Although amoebas have a simple form, they are very successful organisms and are found abundantly in many habitats all over the world. Amoebas live in freshwater, the oceans, and in the upper layers of the soil. A lot of them live like parasites on the body surfaces of ocean animals or in the internal organs of both aquatic and terrestrial animals.
Ewww... Amoeba. Disgusting creatures.
Amoeba are not especially common in nature. But because they are easy to obtain and be kept in a lab, they are common objects that are studied, to study as a representative of protozoa (which are also in the Protista kingdom) and to demonstrate cell structure and function.
It is apparently extremely difficult to escape an invasion by some type of amoeba. Some are harmless, but others are pathogenic and cause serious diseases; e.g., Entamoeba histolytica causes amebic dysentery, which is fatal if untreated.
Wikipedia describes how to collect amoeba (if you are that way inclined):
• Lower a jar upside down until it is just above the sediment surface.
• Slowly move the jar when tilting it to collect from a larger area.
If you are fortunate enough not to find any disgusting microscopic parasites, put some rice grains into the jar and wait for them to start to rot. The bacteria eating the rice will be eaten by the amoeba, which will increase their population and make them easier to find.
Image part of the GNU Free Documentation License
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