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Slime Mold Maze Run

A yellow slime mold spreads through a tabletop maze. It withdraws from dead ends and thickens along the shortest path to a cluster of oats.

In the picture

  1. A cluster of oat flakes: the food source at the end of the maze.
  2. A thick yellow vein: the main route linking the starting area to the food.
  3. Thin yellow filaments: exploratory branches that withdraw from dead ends.
  4. A glossy wet film: the mucus trail left on the floor along the used route.

Examples

  • A slime mold on a damp log grows toward a nearby fallen fruit.
  • A snail trail on a sidewalk stays shiny and wet.

Quiz: Slime Mold Maze Run (Age 16)

  1. What is a slime mold able to do without having a brain?

    • Find the shortest route to food
    • Remember a maze for several weeks
    • Tell other slime molds where food is
  2. What does a slime mold do with branches that do not lead to food?

    • It keeps them growing as they are
    • It turns them into thicker veins
    • It pulls them back
  3. What does a slime mold leave along the route it uses?

    • A dry crust
    • A mucus trail
    • A line of oat flakes

The answers, each with its explanation, are in the app. This lesson has left the free week, so its quiz is part of the subscription.

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Biology, Age 16