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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Amoeboid movement

Amoebiform \A*m[oe]"bi*form\, Amoeboid \A*m[oe]"boid\, a. [Am[oe]ba + -form or -oid.] (Biol.) Resembling an am[oe]ba; am[oe]ba-shaped; changing in shape like an am[oe]ba.

Am[oe]boid movement, movement produced, as in the am[oe]ba, by successive processes of prolongation and retraction.

Wikipedia
Amoeboid movement

Amoeboid movement is the most common mode of locomotion in Eukaryotic cells. It is a crawling-like type of movement accomplished by protrusion of cytoplasm of the cell involving the formation of pseudopodia. The cytoplasm slides and forms a pseudopodium in front to move the cell forward. This type of movement has been linked to changes in action potential; the exact mechanism is still unknown. This type of movement is observed in amoeboids, slime molds and some protozoans such as Naegleria gruberi, as well as some cells in humans such as leukocytes. Sarcomas, or cancers arising from connective tissue cells, are particularly adept at amoeboid movement, thus leading to their high rate of metastasis.

While several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the mechanism of amoeboid movement, the exact mechanism is still unknown.

Usage examples of "amoeboid movement".

It was capable of amoeboid movement, like a low order of animal life.