#physarales

Physarum Polycephalum

This is an "acellular" slime mold, meaning that in spite of its significant size, it is only technically composed of a single cell, albeit with many nuclei. This particular slime mold blooms outwards until it locates rich food sources, then retracts branches that were unsuccessful in locating food.  The result is a very efficient network of slowly pulsing yellow branches. When placed in mazes with food at each entrance, Physarum Polycephalum will "solve" the maze by expanding out to fill the entire area, then retracting until only the solution remains. When conditions are unsatisfactory, P. Polycephalum either forms a hardened surface and goes dormant, a state in which it can remain for years, or it enters a reproductive phase in which it grows and releases spores. The spores germinate and release swarm cells, which will fuse together to form a new motile state.