Amoeba Diagram - Classification & Structure

Amoeba is a fascinating unicellular organism widely studied in biology, especially in school syllabi from class 7 to NEET preparation. Amoebas are members of the Protista kingdom, known for their unique, simple structure and remarkable adaptability to various environments. They play a vital role in biological processes, such as nutrition and reproduction. Understanding the amoeba diagram is crucial for students as it offers insights into biology, which is an important topic from class 9 to NEET level. This article will focus on the amoeba's structure, nutrition, and reproduction using binary fission, supported by diagrams and essential FAQs for students across class 7 to NEET level.

Structure of Amoeba (Amoeba Diagram)

An amoeba's body is irregular in shape and covered by a plasma membrane. It has two parts to its cytoplasm: the outer part is called the ectoplasm and the inner part is called the endoplasm. The main organelles found inside its cytoplasm include the nucleus, contractile vacuole, and food vacuoles.

What is Amoeba?

Amoeba is found to be a unicellular organism that is made up of a single cell and that can only be seen by a microscope. This organism is not visible with the help of the naked eye. It is usually a eukaryotic organism that shows the presence of true organelles and a nuclear envelope. This organism moves with the help of false feet which is termed as the pseudopodia. The pseudopodia is defined as the cytoplasm pushing off the cell membrane. A very important feature of the amoeba is to change its shape.

Also Read:

• Biological Classification
• The Living World
• Nutrients
• Stages Of Meiosis

Structure of Amoeba

• Movement in the amoeba takes place with the help of false feet which is known as pseudopodia so it changes its shape.

• The structure and body of Amoeba are divided into three different parts namely cytoplasm, plasma membrane, and nucleus.

• The cytoplasm of the amoeba is further divided into two layers that are known as the outer ectoplasm and inner endoplasm.

• The plasma membrane of amoeba is observed to be very thin This layer is a double-layer membrane that is composed of protein. It is made up of lipid molecules.

• When we talk about other cellular organelles, amoeba possess contractile vacuoles, mitochondria, Golgi apparatus and some of the fat globules.

• The contractile vacuole helps in maintaining the osmotic equilibrium. This process is played by separating out most of the water from the cell.

Size of Amoeba

Amoeba is present in different forms in both size and shape. When the earliest animals were found it was found to be 400 to 600 micrometers in size.

There are many different sizes of amoeba that range from small to large size that is 2-3 nanometers in size to exceptionally large such as 20 cm amoeba. The body of the amoeba is found to be transparent and looks like gelatin.

Amoeba Classification

All the discussion of the amoeba from which domain and phylum it belongs is defined here:

• Domain: Eukaryota (True cells)
• Kingdom: Amoebozoa
• Phylum: Tubulinea
• Class: Lobosa
• Order: Tubulinida
• Family: Amoebidae
• Genus: Amoeba
• Species: many different species such as Proteus and animacule.

Nowadays, studies have been done on classifying the amoeba. This classification is done on the basis of the subunit that is located in their ribosomal RNA. Sarcodina is defined to be the most preferable form of the amoeba. It is found to be the single most accepted taxonomic group that is presented to the classification of the amoeba cell. It is divided on the basis of its observable character.

Reproduction in Amoeba

Reproduction in amoeba is through two main

Binary Fission

It is defined as a mode of reproduction in which the whole body of the amoeba divides into two daughter cells with the help of mitosis. The division here involves the nuclear division which is called karyokinesis and cytoplasmic division which is termed cytokinesis.

Spore Formation

When there are unfavourable conditions then at this stage the amoeba divides by the process that is termed as the spore formation. It now starts breaking its nuclear membrane. This is the stage at which some of the chromatin blocks get released into the cytoplasm. Each chromatin block now gets inside a nuclear membrane and becomes a small daughter nucleus.

Mode of Nutrition

There are usually five stages in the mode of nutrition:

Ingestion

In amoeba, this is the most common method that amoeba is used to make the food digest inside its body. They do this process by engulfing the food material. This technique of food intake is known as ingestion. Now the food particle fuses with the pseudopodia and this process is known as phagocytosis.

Digestion

In this process, the insoluble and used food particles are processed and converted into minute particles. This process is termed to be digestion. To perform this process it makes use of the lysosome which helps to convert the food material.

Absorption

Now supplements and nutrients of food are consumed. At this stage, the undigested particles are kept behind and removed. This process is termed to be the absorption.

Assimilation

This is defined as the process with the help of which the amoeba obtains and derives energy from the food.

Egestion

This is the process by which the amoeba excretes out the undigested food.

Tips, Tricks and Strategies for Studying Amoeba Diagram for Exams

Study Aids: Review diagrams of the amoeba's structure, nutrition, and binary fission.
Mnemonics: Use simple mnemonics to remember the organelles of amoeba and their functions.
Real-Life Examples: Watch videos of amoeboid movement to see how pseudopodia works.
Practice Diagrams: Try and draw neat, labelled amoeba diagrams for class 7, class 8, class 9, and class 10 as these always seem to appear in exams.

Weightage of Amoeba Diagrams in Exams

Types of Questions on Amoeba Diagram in Different Exams

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