Amoebozoa

Overview

The Protist supergroup of Amoebozoans consists of unicellular organisms that largely resemble amoebas. Characteristically, these organisms have a pseudopodia that extends like flat lobes or flat tubes unlike that hair like pseudopodia that is possessed by the rhizarian amoeba. The Amoebozoan supergroup includes gymnamoebas, entamoebas, and slime molds.

Gymnamoebas

Gymnamoebas are a large group of organisms with much variety. They are found in soil along with freshwater and marine ecosystems. They are free-living heterotrophs that feed on bacteria, detritus(non-living organic matter), and other protists.

Entamoebas

Entamoebas consists of the amoebozoans that are parasitic. They affect all vertebrates along with some invertebrates. Six different species of entamoebas infect human beings.

Slime Molds

Slime molds, as a group of over 900 species, were once considered fungi but that ruling was overturned due to molecular evidence. Due to the fact that they consume microorganisms that live in dead plant material, slime molds are found in soil and on decomposing plants. Slime molds can be divided into two groups, plasmodial and cellular.