Click here to see a JPEG of this microbe.
Kingdom: Protist
Scientific Name: Amoeba proteus
Image Courtesy of: Joanne Whallon
Image Width: 30 microns
Image Technology: Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy
Amoebas are some of the most famous members of the microbial world. Amoebas have no fixed shape. Instead, these blobs of protoplasm constantly shift their shape while moving and eating. An amoeba moves by extending part of its "body", called a psuedopod ("false foot"), and then using the psuedopod to drag itself to the new location. Amoebas also use their shape-shifting abilities while feeding; they surround their food with extended psuedopodia, engulfing their prey.