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Question

Slime molds obtain nutrition by

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Explanation

Plasmodial and cellular slime molds belonging to Amoebozoa acquire nutrients not through osmotrophic absorption like fungi secreting extracellular enzymes, but via phagocytic ingestion resembling amoebae. Multinucleate plasmodium migrates along substrates streaming cytoplasm rhythmically engulfing bacterial cells, yeast spores, and detritus forming food vacuoles where lysosomal enzymes digest prey intracellularly. Lack of cell wall in trophic stage facilitates engulfment. Presence of fruiting bodies superficially resembles fungal sporangia, yet feeding mode relies on endocytosis and actin based engulfment, aligning slime molds nutritionally with protozoa rather than absorptive fungal kingdom.

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