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slime mould

(Science: biology, microbiology) Two distinct groups of fungi, the cellular slime moulds or Acrasidae that include dictyostelium and the acellular slime moulds or myxomycetes that include physarum.

These nonphototrophic eukaryotic microorganisms lack cell walls, which aggregate to form fruiting structures (cellular slime moulds) or simply masses of protoplasm (acellular slime moulds).