The Microbe That's Big Enough to Pet

The video explores the Pelham Mixer, a giant amoeba found in freshwater sediments. Despite its size, it is difficult to identify due to its slow movement and debris-filled cytoplasm. The organism was first described in the 19th century and is known for its non-motile flagella and varying nuclei count. It thrives in low-oxygen environments, hosting prokaryotes for survival. Pelham Mixer feeds on nutrient-rich sapropel, likened to a sewage treatment plant. Initially thought to be a single species, it was later found to have multiple forms. The absence of mitochondria in Pelham Mixer challenges evolutionary theories, leading to the proposal and eventual abandonment of the Archisoa kingdom.

What makes Pelham Mixer difficult to identify despite its large size?

• Its bright color

• Its loud noise

• Its blending with debris

• Its rapid movement

Who first described Pelham Mixer and what was its original name?

• Charles Darwin, Evolution

• Richard Grief, Pal Obvious

• James, Amoeba

• Thomas Cavalier Smith, Arkola

How do Pelham Mixer amoebas feed?

• By hunting small fish

• By engulfing surrounding material

• By absorbing sunlight

• By photosynthesis

What was discovered about the different species of Pelham Mixer in the 1990s?

• They were not amoebas

• They were extinct

• They were just different life stages of the same species

• They were all different species

What is a distinctive trait that Pelham Mixer lacks?

• Nuclei

• Flagella

• Mitochondria

• Cytoplasm

What was the proposed Kingdom for eukaryotes without mitochondria?

• Archisoa

• Plantae

• Fungi

• Animalia

What did the discovery about Pelham Mixer contribute to evolutionary theory?

• It showed amoebas are unrelated to eukaryotes

• It proved amoebas have mitochondria

• It confirmed the simplicity of amoebas

• It challenged assumptions about complexity and evolution