Write a note on the structure of amoeba.

STRUCTURE OF AMOEBA:

Amoeba is a unicellular organism found in muddy water .at the bottom of ponds and ditches. It measures about 0.25 mm in size. It does not have a fixed shape. It keeps on changing its shape all the times. 

 1. Cell Membrane:

It is a thin membrane. It is also called plasmalemma. It is protective in function.

2. Cytoplasm:

It is differentiated into two parts:
(i) Ectoplasm: The outer portion of cytoplasm is clear and transparent.
(ii) Endoplasm:The inner, viscous, translucent and granular part of cytoplasm is called endoplasm. The endoplasm appears granular and darker in colour due to the presence of reserve food materials.

3. Food Vacuoles:

 The endoplasm contains food vacuoles of all sizes. There are many of them inside the endoplasm. Food vacuoles contain food particles. 4. Contractile Vacuole:
 There is also a large contractile vacuole inside the endoplasm. The contractile vacuole functions to remove excess water from the body. When it reaches its maximum size, it bursts and starts forming again.

5. Nucleus:

There is an oval shaped nucleus in the centre which controls all the metabolic activities of the organism.

6. Pseudopodia (singular pseudopodium):

Amoeba moves by producing finger like projections called pseudopodia. The pseudopodia are also used to capture food particles, which are then placed inside the food vacuole. Amoeba respires by exchanging gases with the surrounding water through its surface by diffusion.