Question

Dictyostelium discoideum is a well-known species of slime mould. Does anyone know what the name means?

Here's my best guess.

I found the 1935 article in which it was first described, but there doesn't seem to be an explanation for the species name 'discoideum'. It might mean 'disk shaped', as in disk+oid plus an agreement morpheme -eum, because in Picture A in plate I, the sorocarp is described as having an 'expanded basal disk'.

The genus name 'dictyostelium' seems to be a reference to the stalk of the sorocarp, and how it resembles a 'dictyostele' or fern stem ('dictyo' meaning 'mesh' + 'stele' meaning upright stone), which seems plausible but strange, because I don't think the stalk has any internal structure like an actual dictyostele.

So if that's right, the overall name would be a physical description of the fruiting body, something like 'thing with a fern-like stem on a disk-like base'.

Is any of that even close?

Answer 1

The name 'Dictyostelium discoideum' describes the organism's physical characteristics, where 'Dictyostelium' suggests a net-like stalk structure, and 'discoideum' indicates a disk-like base. This cellular slime mold serves as a model organism with a unique life cycle involving cellular aggregation into multicellular forms for spore production.

Step-by-step explanation:

The scientific name of Dictyostelium discoideum, a well-known species of cellular slime mold, indeed carries a descriptive meaning in its nomenclature. The genus name Dictyostelium possibly derives from the Greek words 'dictyo', meaning 'net' or 'mesh', and 'stele', referring to a 'pillar' or 'stalk'. This could be in reference to the appearance of the stalk-like structure that supports the spore-producing head. The species name 'discoideum' suggests a 'disk-like' shape, from the Latin 'discus', which aligns with the basal disk-like base that supports the sorocarp.

Dictyostelium discoideum is essential in biological research as it serves as a model organism for studying cellular processes such as development and differentiation. Its life cycle involves individual amoeboid cells that aggregate to form a multicellular slug, which then develops into a fruiting body capable of spore production. These fruiting bodies somewhat resemble the appearance of fern stems and sport an expanded bottom, correlating to its genus and species names.