Question

The thalloid body of a slime mould (myxomycetes) is known as
A. Mycelium
B. Protonema
C. Plasmodium
D. Fruit body

Answer 1

Hint: Thalloid, depicts a thallus like body. In simpler words, it means a flat body, which is not differentiated into roots, stem and leaves. Myxomycetes are known as true or acellular slime moulds. They are marked by syncytial (multinucleated), plasmodial stages.

Complete solution
Option A. Mycelium: It forms the thallus or the vegetative part of the fungus. Spores are produced on the mycelium which grow and develop into hyphae. Only dikaryotic (those with 2 nuclei) mycelium are capable of to reproduce sexually, while homokaryotic mycelium undergoes asexual reproduction.
Option B. Protonema: The protonema, which grows directly from the germinating moss spore, is an extensive, branched network of multicellular filaments that contain chlorophyll. It represents the juvenile gametophyte.
Option C. Plasmodium: Plasmodium is the thalloid body of a slime mould (myxomycetes). The Plasmodium is formed by the fusion of myxamoebae or of swarm cells. When conditions for the growth are unfavourable, a Plasmodium becomes stationary, and the slime mold advances to the next stage of its life cycle, marked by the development of a fruiting body that consists of a sporangium, or spore case.
Option D. Fruit body: Fruiting bodies are fungal structures that consist of spores. They are found in various sizes, shapes, and colors, all of which help in identification of the specific fungus. Under favourable conditions, the mycelium group together to form a fruit body.

Hence Option C is the correct answer

Note:
Earlier, slime moulds were placed under fungi, because of their ability to produce spores that are borne in sporangia, a characteristic that is common to some taxa of fungi. However, later they were shifted to the kingdom Protista with other unicellular and small multicellular eukaryotic organisms.