As they flow over rotten logs as a fluid sheet, slime molds appear to lack any partitioning into individual cells; however, slime molds do become cellular when they change form to produce spores. The surface of some parasitic flatworms and some insect tissues are a "syncytium" or layer of living material that contains many nuclei and cell organelles but lacks partitioning by cell membranes. These tissues consume food and produce wastes. In light of the cell theory that "all living things are composed of cells," then
A) these tissues are not living because they are not cellular.
B) these tissues are obviously a bridge between nonliving and primitive living cells.
C) the general concept of life-is-cellular still holds because these organisms are cellular at specific stages in their life cycle, but this shows that cell membrane partitions can be abandoned.
D) this proves that a "vital force" beyond cell chemistry can give life to substances.
E) All of the choices are true.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The general concept of life-is-cellular still holds because these organisms are cellular at specific stages in their life cycle, but this shows that cell membrane partitions can be abandoned. While these organisms may not be cellular at all times, they still exhibit characteristics of living things and have structures that function similarly to cells. This demonstrates that the definition of what constitutes a "cell" is not fixed and can be flexible depending on the organism and its life cycle.

As They Flow Over Rotten Logs as a Fluid Sheet