Amoeba Locomotion

 Amoeba Locomotion

Locomotion: Animals move from one place to another for food, self-defenseand in search of favourable environment. Such voluntary movement of animal is known as locomotion. Amoeba move very slowly and its locomotion is irregular. Amoeba move with the help of special type of finger-like out growth known as pseudopodium (Plural-pseudopodia).

 

The meaning of pseudopodium is "false foot"(pseudo means False and podos means foot). Amoeba at the time of locomotion, produce pseudopodia from different parts of the body and these again disappear within the body. This particular type of locomotion of Amoeba is called Amoeboid movement.

 

At the time of locomotion pseudopodia come out from any part of the body and the animal advances in that direction. Simultaneously with the formation of pseudopodia, the protoplasm of the body of Amoeba flows in that direction and with that other parts of the body move that way. In this way Amoeba advances towards its target. It can form pseudopodia at any part of its body and always move at the direction of pseudopodia. When new pseudopodia are formed on one side of the body, the old pseudopodia disappear. In this way, Amoeba moves by rolling.