Syringammina fragilissima
Encyclopedia
Syringammina fragilissima is a xenophyophore
found off the coast of Scotland
, near Rockall
. It is the largest single-celled organism known, at up to 20 centimetres (8 in) across. It was the first xenophyophore to be described, after being discovered in 1882 by the oceanographer
John Murray
.
The cell grows into hundreds of branched and interconnecting tubes, which secretes an organic cement to collect particles of sediment and sand, forming a crusty structure called the test
. As the test grows, the cell withdraws from parts of it, which are then colonised by other organisms, such as nematodes. Unusually, the cell has multiple nuclei
.
It is not known how the organism feeds or reproduces.
Xenophyophore
Xenophyophores are marine protozoa, giant single-celled organisms found throughout the world's oceans, at depths of up to 10,641 meters . Xenophyophores are found in the greatest numbers on the abyssal plains of the deep ocean. They were first described as sponges in 1889, then as testate...
found off the coast of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, near Rockall
Rockall
Rockall is an extremely small, uninhabited, remote rocky islet in the North Atlantic Ocean. It gives its name to one of the sea areas named in the shipping forecast provided by the British Meteorological Office....
. It is the largest single-celled organism known, at up to 20 centimetres (8 in) across. It was the first xenophyophore to be described, after being discovered in 1882 by the oceanographer
Oceanography
Oceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...
John Murray
John Murray (oceanographer)
Sir John Murray KCB FRS FRSE FRSGS was a pioneering Scottish oceanographer, marine biologist and limnologist.-Early life:...
.
The cell grows into hundreds of branched and interconnecting tubes, which secretes an organic cement to collect particles of sediment and sand, forming a crusty structure called the test
Test (biology)
A test is a term used to refer to the shell of sea urchins, and also the shell of certain microorganisms, such as testate foraminifera and testate amoebae....
. As the test grows, the cell withdraws from parts of it, which are then colonised by other organisms, such as nematodes. Unusually, the cell has multiple nuclei
Cell nucleus
In cell biology, the nucleus is a membrane-enclosed organelle found in eukaryotic cells. It contains most of the cell's genetic material, organized as multiple long linear DNA molecules in complex with a large variety of proteins, such as histones, to form chromosomes. The genes within these...
.
It is not known how the organism feeds or reproduces.