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| Digestion in Amoeba |
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| Digestion in amoeba is intracellular taking place within the cell. The food taken in remains in a food vacuole or gastric vacuole formed by the cell membrane and small part of the cytoplasm. The vacuoles are transported deeper into the cells by cytoplasmic movements. Here they fuse with lysosomes that contain enzymes. Two enzymes amylase and proteinase have been reported. Thus, amoeba can digest sugars, cellulose and proteins. Fats, however, remain undigested. |
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| The contents of the vacuole become lighter and the outline of the vacuole becomes indefinite indicating that the digestion is complete. |
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| Since the food on digestion is converted into liquid diffusible form, it is readily absorbed by the cytoplasm. The vacuole becomes progressively smaller as the food is absorbed by diffusion. |
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| All the parts of the cell get the nutrients by the cyclic movement of the cytoplasm called the cyclosis. These nutrients are used to build new protoplasm. In this manner the food is assimilated. |
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| The egestion takes place by exocytosis. There is no particular point from which the egestion takes place. As the amoeba moves forward, the undigested matter is shifted to the back and eliminated as food pellets through a temporary opening formed at any nearest point on the plasmalemma. |
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| Amoeba - Stages of Egestion |
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