In Our Time Slime Moulds
171 snips
Jan 30, 2025 
Neither plant nor animal, slime moulds lead scientists into a biological identity crisis. These brainless organisms navigate mazes, inspire Tokyo’s rail map and computer algorithms, and are being studied for clues to disease. Their strange life cycles, collective behaviour and trip to the space station make them even harder to pin down.
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What is Slime Mold?
- Slime mold is a broad term encompassing diverse species with shared characteristics like a free-living single-cell stage and spore production.
- These organisms vary greatly in size and form, with some being microscopic and others reaching a meter across.
Slime Mold's Relation to Other Organisms
- Slime molds appear on both the plant-like and animal-like branches of the tree of life.
- Some are more closely related to plants, while others are closer to animals and fungi.
Where to Find Slime Molds
- Slime molds thrive in damp, shady environments like rotting logs or leaves.
- They appear as shape-shifting blobs in their single-celled phase, and as networks of slimy veins in their multicellular stage.