Place a slide of Amoeba (common species is A. proteus) under tlie lnicroscope and focus it under low power (5x x 5x), and observe it carefully. Amoeba looks like an irregular colourless drop of gelatinous protoplasm.

i) Tlie body is covered by a thin elastic, semi-permeable membrane called 91 plasmalemma

ii) Under tlie plasmalemma, tlie protoplasm is clearly distinguished into an outer clear ectoplasm and an inner granular fluid-like endoplasm.

iii) Try to identify the anterior and the posterior ends of Amoeba. Tlie anterior elid is cliaracterised by a thick layer of ectoplasm (tlie hyaline cap), while the posterior end is modified in tlie form of a tail like region the uroid (The anterior end of amoeba is the one in which direction a pseudopodium is given out for progression).

iv) You will see some blunt, finger-like projections. These are tlie pseudopodia and are tlie extensions of the protoplasm. Pseudopodia help tlie Amoeba to move in tlie medium and also in capturing food.