| Kingdom |
Protista |
Straminipila |
| Taxonomic Group |
Mycetozoa |
Oomycetes |
| Cellular Structure |
Multicellular, often with a multinucleate mass |
Typically filamentous, with coenocytic hyphae |
| Composition of cell Wall |
Mostly cellulose or a combination of cellulose and other materials |
Cellulose, beta-glucans and other complex carbohydrates |
| Mode of nutrition |
Heterotrophic, feeding on bacteria and organic matter |
Mostly saprophytic, some are parasitic on plants and animals |
| Type of reproduction |
· Asexual (spore formation)
· Sexual (formation of spore-producing structures) |
· Asexual (zoospores)
· Sexual (oospores) |
| Habitat |
Terrestrial, found in forest floors, decaying logs and other organic matter |
Aquatic or terrestrial, often associated with water environments |
| Motility |
Can exhibit amoeboid or crawling movement during the plasmodial stage |
Zoospores are motile, propelled by a single posterior flagellum |
| Role in Ecosystems |
Decomposers, contributing to the breakdown of dead organic material |
Some are plant pathogens causing diseases like late blight in potatoes |
| Examples |
· Physarum polycephalum
· Dictyostelium discoideum |
· Phytophthora infestans
· Saprolegnia spp |
