Physarum polycephalum

Physarum polycephalum
P. polycephalum plasmodium on tree bark
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Phylum:	Amoebozoa
Class:	Myxogastria
Order:	Physarales
Family:	Physaraceae
Genus:	Physarum
Species:	P. polycephalum
Binomial name
Physarum polycephalum Schwein.

Physarum polycephalum, an acellular^[1] slime mold or myxomycete popularly known as "the blob",^[2] is a protist with diverse cellular forms and broad geographic distribution. The “acellular” moniker derives from the plasmodial stage of the life cycle: the plasmodium is a bright yellow macroscopic multinucleate coenocyte shaped in a network of interlaced tubes. This stage of the life cycle, along with its preference for damp shady habitats, likely contributed to the original mischaracterization of the organism as a fungus. P. polycephalum is used as a model organism for research into motility, cellular differentiation, chemotaxis, cellular compatibility, and the cell cycle.