We scientists think we have seen it all, but, under our very noses,
there, lying unseen, is: the Blob!
Scientists the world over are wracking their brains to solve the enigma
of the Blob. It is not a plant, but it has some of the characteristics of a
plant. It is not an animal, though it has some animal characteristics. Is it a mushroom?
No, not entirely that either. It is like nothing else we know and that is why
it is so fascinating... So, what is it then?
The Blob, officially called Physarum polycephalum, is a strange,
creeping, blob-like organism made up of one giant cell. But it is not an alien!
It is an “unidentified crawling object” and part of the Protist family. Its nickname
“comes from the film “The Blob” starring Steve McQueen (who is not the eponymous
hero!).
It has no mouth, nor stomach, nor eyes. It is able to move (1 cm per
hour) to find food, to see, to smell, to digest, to mate. Though it has no
brain, it can learn from experience. When Physarum polycephalum temporarily
fuses with another slime mould they transmit to each other what each “knows”.
The Blob’s natural habitat is forest debris, but scientists can grow it easily
in the laboratory. It is in fact the biggest single-cell organism; it can grow
to 10 m²! It can be divided to create two new living cells, healing in just two minutes.
In fact, it is not possible to kill the Blob. It can resist extreme conditions;
it only needs a little rain to start growing again.
Though it has no brain, The Blob has intelligence. Moreover, the
personality of the Blob changes from continent to continent. Scientists have demonstrated
that, for example, the Australian blob tends to be “altruistic”, whereas the American
one is more selfish… How human!
The Blob challenges scientific categories. Because it is related to
several types of bacteria, research on it may lead to finding cures for a
number of diseases.
Physarum polycephalum
