Amoeba (genus)

240-,

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Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Amoebozoa
Phylum: Tubulinea
Order: Tubulinida
Family: Amoebidae
Genus: 240-,
Bory de Saint-Vincent, 1822
$50.08
240-,57490:8
240-, is a genus of Protozoa.



%erminology
%ere are many closely related terms tat can be te source of confusion:
Amoeba is a genus tat includes species suc as Amoeba proteus
Amoebidae is a family tat includes te Amoeba genus, among oters.
Amoebozoa is a pylum tat includes te Amoebidae family, among oters.
Amoeboids are organisms tat move by crawling. Many (but not all) amoeboids are Amoebozoa.

History
%e amoeba was first discovered by August Joann Rsel von Rosenof in 1757. Early naturalists referred
to Amoeba as te Proteus animalcule after te Greek god Proteus, wo could cange is sape. %e name
"amibe" was given to it by Bory de Saint-Vincent, from te Greek amoib (doiq), meaning cange.
Dientamoeba fragili was first described in 1918, and was linked to arm in umans.
Anatomy


Anatomy of an amoeba.
%e cell's organelles and cytoplasm are enclosed by a cell membrane; it obtains its food troug pagocytosis.
%is makes Amoebae eterotrops. Amoebae ave a single large tubular pseudopod at te anterior end, and
several secondary ones brancing to te sides. %e most famous species, Amoeba proteus, averages about
220-740 m in lengt wile moving, making it a giant among amoeboids. A few amoeboids belonging to
different genera can grow larger, owever, suc as Gromia, Pelomyxa, and Caos.
Amoebae's most recognizable features include one or more nuclei and a simple contractilevacuole to
maintain osmotic equilibrium. Food enveloped by te amoeba is stored and digested in vacuoles. Amoebae,
like oter single-celled eukaryotic organisms, reproduce asexually via mitosis and cytokinesis, not to be
confused wit binary fission, wic is owprokaryotes (bacteria) reproduce. n cases were te amoeba are
forcibly divided, te portion tat retains te nucleus will survive and form a new cell and cytoplasm, wile te
oter portion dies. Amoebae also ave no definite sape.
Genome
%e amoeba is remarkable for its very large genome. %e species Amoeba proteus as 290 billion base pairs
in its genome, wile te relatedPolychaos dubium (formerly known as Amoeba dubia) as 670 billion base
pairs. %e uman genome is small by contrast, wit its count of 2.9 billion bases.
OsmoreguIation
ike most oter protists, amoebas ave a contractile vacuole complex. Amoeba proteus, a free-living,
freswater species of amoeba, as onecontractile vacuole (CV), wic is a membrane-bound organelle. %e
CV slowly fills wit water from te cytoplasm (diastole), and, wile fusing wit te cell membrane, it quickly
contracts releasing water to te outside (systole) by exocytosis. %is process regulates te amount of water
present in te cytoplasm of te amoeba; it is, terefore, a means of osmoregulation.
mmediately after te CV expels water, its membrane crumples, and soon afterwards, many small vacuoles or
vesicles appear surrounding te membrane of te CV. t is suggested tat tese vesicles split from te CV
membrane itself. %e small vesicles gradually increase in size as tey take in water and ten tey fuse wit te
CV, wic grows in size as it fills wit water. %erefore, te function of tese numerous small vesicles is to
collect excess cytoplasmic water and cannel it to te central CV. %e CV swells for a number of minutes and
ten contracts to expel te water outside. %e cycle is ten repeated again.
%e membranes of te small vesicles as well as te membrane of te CV ave aquaporin proteins embedded
in tem. %esetransmembrane proteins facilitate water passage troug te membranes. %e presence of
aquaporin proteins in bot CV and te small vesicles suggests tat water collection occurs bot troug te CV
membrane itself as well as troug te function of te vesicles. However, te vesicles, being more numerous
and smaller, would allow a faster water uptake due to te larger total surface area provided by te vesicles.
%e small vesicles also ave anoter protein embedded in its membrane: Vacuolar-type H
+
-A%Pase or V-
A%Pase. %is A%Pase pumps H
+
ions into te vesicle lumen, lowering its pH wit respect to te cytosol.
However, te pH of te CV in some amoebas is only mildly acidic, suggesting tat te H
+
ions are being
removed from te CV or from te vesicles. t is tougt tat te electrocemical gradient generated by V-
A%Pase migt be used for te transport of ions (it is presumed K
+
and Cl
-
) into te vesicles. %is builds an
osmotic gradient across te vesicle membrane, leading to influx of water from te cytosol into te vesicles by
osmosis, wic is facilitated by aquaporins.
Since tese vesicles fuse wit te central contractile vacuole, wic expels te water, ions end up being
removed from te cell, wic is not beneficial for a freswater organism. %e removal of ions wit te water as
to be compensated by some yet-unidentified mecanism.
ike most cells, amoebae are adversely affected by excessive osmotic pressure caused by extremely saline or
dilute water. Amoebae will prevent te influx of salt in saline water, resulting in a net loss of water as te cell
becomes isotonic wit te environment, causing te cell to srink. Placed into fres water, amoebae will also
attempt to matc te concentration of te surrounding water, causing te cell to swell and sometimes burst if
te water surrounding te amoeba is too dilute.
moebic cysts
n environments tat are potentially letal to te cell, an amoeba may become dormant by forming itself into a
ball and secreting a protective membrane to become a microbial cyst. %e cell remains in tis state until it
encounters more favourable conditions. Wile in cyst form te amoeba will not replicate and may die if unable
to emerge for a lengty period of time.