Pelomyxa

amoeboid organism

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 20, 2026

Quick Summary

Pelomyxa is a genus of large, sluggish, multinucleate freshwater amoebas. These organisms are characterized by their cytoplasm, which is obscured by metabolic and other inclusions.1

Amoeboid movement, a form of locomotion used by organisms like Pelomyxa, involves the extension of pseudopodia, which are cytoplasmic projections. This movement is powered by the polymerization of cytoskeletal proteins like actin and myosin, causing cytoplasm to flow and propel the organism. Pseudopodia are not only used for movement but also for feeding.23

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

protozoan
Annotated classification
Pelomyxa Anaerobic, lacking mitochondria, peroxisomes, and hydrogenosomes. Express a polymorphic life cycle with multinucleate stages. Eumycetozoa (slime molds) Produce fruiting bodies (either a sporocarp or a sorocarp) that spawn amoeboid organisms; other life stages are uninucleate amoeboflagellates, uninucleate non-flagellate amoebae, or
Read More
Pelomyxa Anaerobic, lacking mitochondria, peroxisomes, and hydrogenosomes. Express a polymorphic life cycle with multinucleate stages. Eumycetozoa (slime molds) Produce fruiting bodies (either a sporocarp or a sorocarp) that spawn amoeboid organisms; other life stages are uninucleate amoeboflagellates, uninucleate non-flagellate amoebae, or
Read More