
You are watching: Why is an amoeba not an animal
Protists are also classified by how they move, some have cilia or flagella, but the ameba has an unusual way of creeping along by stretching its cytoplasm into fingerlike extensions called pseudopodia. The word "pseudopodia" means "false foot". On the coloring sheet, there are several pseudopodia, use a yellow highlighter or pencil to highlight each of castle . When looking at ameba under a microscope, an observer will see that no ameba looks the same as any other, the cell membrane is very flexible and allows for the ameba to change shape. Color the cell membrane red . Amebas live in ponds or puddles, and can even live inside people.

Also visible in the ameba is the nucleus, which contains the ameba"s DNA. Color the nucleus violet . In order to reproduce the ameba goes through mitosis, where the nucleus duplicates its genetic material and the cytoplasm splits into two new daughter cells, each identical to the original parent. This method of reproduction is called binary fission. Another structure easily seen in the ameba is the contractile vacuole, whose job is to pump out excess water so that the ameba does not burst. Color the contractile vacuole orange.
During unfavorable conditions, the ameba can create a cyst, this hard-walled body can exist for a long period of time until conditions become favorable again. At this point it opens up and the ameba emerges. Often cysts are created during cold or dry periods where the ameba could not survive in its normal condition. Color the cyst green.
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Amebas can cause disease. A common disease caused by the ameba is called Amebic Dysentery. A person becomes infected by drinking contaminated water. The ameba then upsets the person"s digestive system and causes cramps and diarrhea. A person is most likely to be infected in countries where the water is not filtered or purified.