The
dictyostelids are used as examples of
cell communication and
differentiation, and may provide insights into how
multicellular organisms develop.
Physarum polycephalum are useful for studying
cytoplasmic streaming. They have also been used to study the biochemical events that surround
mitosis, since all of the nuclei in a medium-sized plasmodium divide in synchrony. It has been observed that they can find their way through mazes by spreading out and choosing the shortest path, an interesting example of information processing without a
nervous system. Myxomycete plasmodia have also been used to study the genetics of asexual cell fusion. The giant size of the plasmodial cells allows for easy evaluation of complete or partial cell fusion. In 2006, researchers at the
University of Southampton and the
University of Kobe reported that they had built a six-legged robot whose movement was remotely controlled by a
Physarum slime mold. The mold directed the
robot into a dark corner most similar to its natural habitat. Slime molds are sometimes studied in advanced mathematics courses. Slime mold aggregation is a natural process that can be approximated with
partial differential equations. ==Meiosis==