swarm cell

In the *Myxomycota , an amoeba-like cell that is produced on germination of a spore. Swarm cells have two anterior whiplash flagella and lack a cell wall. Usually one, but occasionally up to four such cells emerge from one spore. They ingest food, reproduce by division, and then become gametes, in some instances becoming *myxamoebae first . The gametes fuse in pairs to form a zygote that develops into the *plasmodium. In adverse conditions the swarm cells can transform into microcysts.