Euglypha ciliata (testate amoeba)

[75RR]

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Planapo 63x/1.4, DIC, 55µm, stacked and converted to B/W in Photoshop, found in moss, Estepona.

This is from some moss that I transplanted a while ago into a plant pot which it shares with a plant that was already in there.

Soaked a small piece of it in a dish for a bit to see what there might be.

Found some small diatoms and this:

Hope to find more and do them better justice.

[KurtM]

Nice detail in that image, as we have come to expect from you and your deadly 63/1.4. Mesmerizing, even. Isn't it grand how those wee weird creatures craft such wonderful microscopic structures?

[75RR]

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Thanks Kurt, must say that the house building skills of these unicellular organisms are humbling, especially since my main skill seems to be pressing buttons.

Here is another image from the session and best of all a beautifully illustrated page by Leidy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Leidy

[micro]

Interesting how they have that scaly shell

[75RR]

Hi micro, yes, they are quite amazing

Pretty nifty house builders. They could teach a bricklayer a thing or two.

Have a look at the links

https://www.arcella.nl/genus-euglypha/

https://www.arcella.nl/euglypha-acantophora-division/

[75RR]

Found another one. This time the amoeba was at home - like the rest of us.

There is just a hint of the scales that the Testa (shell) is made of.

[MichaelG.]

My wife is a ‘Quilter’ ... and she will be VERY impressed

Truly wonderful !!

MichaelG.

[75RR]

Thanks MichaelG., the 'glass' scales make them a challenge to photograph

This is what I am aiming for: https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... .php?t=409

[MichaelG.]

Keep up the great work

MichaelG.

[cuxlander]

Hello,

yes an interesting property of Euglyphides.
They produce these scales in their golgi-apparatus and store them inside for the coming cell generation:



Cheers,
Hans

[75RR]

Great photo cuxlander, got me searching some more and found this description - full text in link

"According to Dr. Gruber's observations a certain quantity of protoplasm projects from the carapace through the aperture of the latter. At the same time the little plates just mentioned set themselves in motion, and arrange themselves one behind the other along the wall of the carapace. From this a series is soon seen to issue and arrange themselves round the process of protoplasm that has been expelled through the aperture. The quantity of this protoplasm gradually increases; and at the same time fresh platelets issuing from the parent individual become imbricated upon its surface. In from half an hour to an hour these pieces, about eighty in number, have taken their places, and the new creature has acquired the aspect of a fir-cone; finally, a little later, they present their definitive arrangement, and the Euglypha that they protect only differs from that which has given it birth by the absence of a nucleus."

https://ia600205.us.archive.org/13/item ... -93328.pdf

[75RR]

Euglypha extruding scales - unfortunately found it just as an annoyingly wobbly slide was drying out - worth showing anyway I think

[KD Arvidsson]

Very interesting and instructive! Thanks for sharing!! //KD

[Wes]

Found another one. This time the amoeba was at home - like the rest of us.

There is just a hint of the scales that the Testa (shell) is made of.

The elongated structures visible in vacuoles around the 0:35 mark, are these scales ready to be deployed or in process of maturation?? I'll try not to forget to collect a bit of moss next time I go to the park. Thanks for sharing 75'

[75RR]

Thanks Wes

The elongated structures visible in vacuoles around the 0:35 mark, are these scales ready to be deployed or in process of maturation??

I had thought they were lunch.

Given cuxlander's image I think the new scale production is more widespread but that is just a guess.



Another unclear image (sorry), which gives a hint of new scales produced/stored? in two lines (highlighted in yellow) similar to the image above

[Wes]

Amazing stuff. I wonder how the cell manages to produce scales of defined geometry.