Fruiting Bodies: Dictyostelium discoideum

The fruiting bodies produced by the amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum as part of its reproductive cycle are pictured. Scientists have learned that some of the single-celled organisms display a primitive form of agriculture.

Instead of consuming all the bacteria at a particular site, they save some to 'seed' at other locations where food is scarce.

The amoeba species lives in slime moulds in the soil, where they exhibit an unusual form of social reproduction.

Dictyostelium chooses social over sexual reproduction whenever it runs out of food.