And so, #14DaysofMicrobiologyPoems continues.

I reached out to the science Twitterverse earlier this month in search of 14 microbes worthy of poems.

Here is Poem Eight, requested by @MGLemieux.

 

 

 

Amoeba proteus: Shifting shapes

Amoeba proteus,
Or as some call it:
Chaos diffluens.

Chaos indeed.
One look at Amoeba proteus up close,
And you’d know why.

Protrusions lengthen from its cell membrane.
Constantly extending, contracting.
Pulling in all directions,
Creating any shape possible.

These protrusions are called pseudopodia,
“False feet.”
This is how Amoeba proteus moves around.
When a pseudopodium moves outwards,
The other end of the amoeba contracts,
Pushing the cell’s contents forward.

When on the move, pseudopodia also snatches up a meal.
The pseudopodium captures other organisms –
Algae, rotifers, even smaller amoebas.
Engulfing them,
Bringing them inside the cell.
There, it meets a vacuole
Full of enzymes to break it down into nutrients.

Where can you find such a creature?
In highly oxygenated freshwater,
In the shade,
Perhaps, under a lily pad.

Further reading:

What is an amoeba? Live Science. 2016.