pod closeup

Description:

This image shows a closeup of the aperture in the test from which the reticulopodia extend. The actual aperture follows the curved line between the glassy-looking part of the test, which is the youngest chamber, and the yellowish part, which is another part of the test (and out of the plane of focus, which is why it's slightly blurry.) The pods themselves are the transparent ray-like objects. Forams use reticulopods to move, eat, gather materials, build their tests, and do pretty much everything else they do. Image courtesy of Susan T. Goldstein, University of Georgia.