A type of bacterium that moves around like an amoeba, changing shape as it travels through its environment.
From amoeba (Greek amoibe, 'change') + bacteria (Greek bakteria, 'small rod'). This term emerged in 19th-century microbiology to classify bacteria with amoeba-like movement.
These bacteria blur the line between different types of microscopic life—they're technically bacteria but move like single-celled animals, making them useful for studying how life can share characteristics across different groups.
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