Chaos (amoeba)

Taxobox
name = "Chaos"


image_width =
image_caption =
regnum = Amoebozoa
phylum = Sarcodina
classis = Tubulinea
ordo = Tubulinida
familia = Amoebidae
genus = "Chaos"
genus_authority = Linnaeus 1858
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = "Chaos carolinensis"
"Chaos illinoisense"

"Chaos" is a genus of giant amoebae, varying from 1-5 mm in length. They are closely related to "Amoeba", and share the same general morphology, producing numerous cylindrical pseudopods. However, "Chaos" have several hundred nuclei, while "Amoeba" only have one. The most notable species is "C. carolinensis"; they have also been classified as "Pelomyxa", another giant multinucleate amoeba, but they are not particularly similar.

Chaos feed on bacteria, fungi, other protists and multicellular rotifers. They are heterotrophs like all members of sarcodina, and obtain food energy by ingestion. They are mostly scavengers and are found on the bottom of freshwater habitats.

Chaos move by pseudopodia. They do not have a hard cell wall. The cytoplasm is divided into the endoplasm which is fluid and contains the many nuclei, granules, and food vacuoles, and the ectoplasm which is more viscous and does not contain any granules.