Slime Is a Serious Word in Biology
Slime is a thick slippery substance. In biology it names precise structures, and slime moulds are not moulds at all.
Slime is a thick, slippery, unpleasant substance. Biology uses it precisely: a *slime layer* is a loose coating some bacteria secrete, and *slime moulds* are single-celled organisms that are not moulds or fungi at all. One species, *Physarum polycephalum*, can solve mazes and has reproduced the Tokyo rail network by growing efficient links between oat flakes placed at station sites. *Slimy* applied to a person means insincerely ingratiating.
- A slippery substance. *Green slime.*
- Slimy — the adjective. *A slimy surface.*
- Slime mould — a single-celled organism. *Slime mould.*
- Slime layer — a bacterial coating. *A slime layer.*
- Old English — *slim*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | slime | Slime. |
| Adjective | slimy | Slimy. |
| Verb | slime | Slimed. |
| Compound | slime mould | Slime mould. |
| Old English | slim | Slime. |
- The rocks were covered in slime.Substance.
- Slime moulds are not fungi.Biology.
- He gave a slimy compliment.Figurative.
What slime moulds can do
- They are amoebas, not fungi, despite the name
- They can merge into a single large multi-nucleate cell
- They solve mazes by retracting from dead ends
- They reproduced the Tokyo rail network in a 2010 experiment
- They have no brain and no nervous system at all
Old English *slim*, of Germanic origin, related to Latin *limus*, mud, and Greek *limne*, a marsh.
Are slime moulds fungi?
No. They are amoeba-like organisms in a different kingdom entirely, though their appearance led early naturalists to classify them with fungi.
Can slime moulds really solve mazes?
Yes. Physarum polycephalum grows toward food and retracts from dead ends, producing efficient routes without any nervous system.