Acrasidae

Acrasid Slime Molds
Acrasis rosea, amoebe and spores
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Excavata
Superphylum:	Discicristata
Phylum:	Percolozoa Cavalier-Smith 1991
Class:	Heterolobosea Page & Blanton 1985
Order:	Acrasida
Family:	Acrasidae

Acrasidae is a family^[1] of slime molds which belongs to the protist group Percolozoa. The name acrasio- comes from the Greek Akrasia, meaning "acting against one's judgement." This group consists of cellular slime molds.

Some would also consider it as a kingdom unto itself, but the debate is as of yet unsettled.

The term "Acrasiomycota" has been used when the group was believed to be a fungus ("-mycota").

Reproduction

When resources such as water or food become limiting, the amoeba will release pheromones such as acrasin to aggregate amoebal cells in preparation for movement as a large (thousands of cells) grex or pseudopod. When in the grex, the amoeboids reproduce sexually, resulting in fruit-like structures called spores, which develop into unicellular molds of the same species.

See also

• Acrasis rosea

References

• C.J. Alexopolous, Charles W. Mims, M. Blackwell et al., Introductory Mycology, 4th ed. (John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken NJ, 2004) ISBN 0-471-52229-5

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