Meaning & use
pseudopod
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Meaning
nouncountablebiology
A temporary bulge or arm-like projection of a single cell, such as an amoeba, which the cell uses to crawl or to surround food.
Grammar: Usually plural in descriptions: the amoeba extends pseudopods.
Patterns
- extend a pseudopod
- a pseudopod of something
- move by pseudopods
Under the microscope, the amoeba pushed out a pseudopod and slid forward.
White blood cells can form a pseudopod to wrap around a bacterium.
The cell withdrew its pseudopod once the food had been engulfed.
Word forms
| plural | pseudopods |
|---|---|
| plural (alternative) | pseudopodia |
Common combinations
- extend a pseudopod
- The cell extends a pseudopod toward the food particle.
- retract a pseudopod
- It retracted the pseudopod after touching the glass.
- form a pseudopod
- Macrophages form a pseudopod to trap invaders.
- move by pseudopods
- Amoebae move by pseudopods rather than by tiny hairs.
Synonyms and how they differ
- false foot
- This is the literal English translation of the Greek roots and is used for explanation, while pseudopod is the standard scientific term.
- cytoplasmic projection
- This phrase is broader and can describe any extension of cell contents, whereas a pseudopod specifically moves or feeds the cell.
Word family
- pseudopodium noun
- the singular Latinate form, used in older or formal texts
- pseudopodia noun
- plural form of pseudopodium
- pseudopodial adjective
- relating to a pseudopod
Commonly confused: pseudopod or flagellum?
pseudopod vs flagellum
A flagellum is a long, permanent whip-like tail that propels a cell, whereas a pseudopod is a temporary bulge that appears and disappears.
Practice
An amoeba captures a food particle by flowing around it with a temporary extension called a ______.
Choose one answer.
A pseudopod is the temporary arm-like extension used for movement and engulfing food. A flagellum is a permanent tail-like structure and does not wrap around food.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pseudopod”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.