amöboide

Amöboide describes cells or organisms that move and feed using amoeboid locomotion, a mode based on transient cytoplasmic projections called pseudopodia. The term is used for free-living and parasitic protists within the broader Amoebozoa, as well as for certain animal cells that migrate by extending pseudopods. In English, the adjective is amoeboid; in some languages the form amöboide is common.

Locomotion arises from dynamic reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. The cell extends a pseudopodium by actin polymerization, cytoplasm streams into the extension, and the cell body follows. Adhesion to the substrate and coordination of intracellular signaling allow forward movement; in some cells, blebbing also contributes to shape change and navigation. Pseudopodia can be broad (lobopodia) or slender (filopodia-like), depending on context.

Amöboide movement is observed in free-living amoebae such as Amoeba species, in parasitic amoebae (e.g., Entamoeba histolytica), and in many metazoan immune cells including macrophages and neutrophils. In single-celled organisms, feeding is often accomplished by phagocytosis, capturing prey with surrounding pseudopodia. In tissues, amoeboid cells support migration during development and immune surveillance.

Related terms include amoeboid migration and mesenchymal movement, the latter being a slower, elongated form used in dense environments. Amöboide movement is a subject of study in cell biology, immunology, and pathology, helping explain how cells navigate complex environments and how pathogens invade or evade defenses.