A macrocyst is an aggregate of cells of Dictyostelids formed during

sexual reproduction Sexual reproduction is a type of reproduction that involves a complex life cycle in which a gamete ( haploid reproductive cells, such as a sperm or egg cell) with a single set of chromosomes combines with another gamete to produce a zygote th ...

enclosed in a cellulose wall. If two amoebae of different

mating types In biology, mating is the pairing of either opposite- sex or hermaphroditic organisms for the purposes of sexual reproduction. '' Fertilization'' is the fusion of two gametes. '' Copulation'' is the union of the sex organs of two sexually repro ...

are present in a dark and wet environment, they can fuse during aggregation to form a

giant cell A giant cell (also known as multinucleated giant cell, or multinucleate giant cell) is a mass formed by the union of several distinct cells (usually histiocytes), often forming a granuloma. Although there is typically a focus on the pathologica ...

. The giant cell will then engulf the other cells in the aggregate and encase the whole aggregate in a thick, cellulose wall to protect it. This is known as a macrocyst. Inside the macrocyst, the giant cell divides first through

meiosis Meiosis (; , since it is a reductional division) is a special type of cell division of germ cells in sexually-reproducing organisms that produces the gametes, such as sperm or egg cells. It involves two rounds of division that ultimately r ...

, then through mitosis to produce many haploid amoebae that will be released to feed as normal amoebae would.

References

Mycetozoa {{amoebozoa-stub

See also

References