Cell walls in protists: Compared with the water mold mycelium (oomycetes), what is the amount of chitin present in the plasmodium of a slime mold during its active feeding stage?

Introduction / Context:
Cell-wall composition is a key trait distinguishing major eukaryotic lineages. Oomycetes (water molds) differ from true fungi by having cellulose-rich walls with little or no chitin. Plasmodial slime molds are even more distinct: their vegetative plasmodium often lacks a rigid cell wall altogether.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Water molds: cellulose-dominant walls, typically minimal chitin.
• Plasmodial slime molds: wall-less, multinucleate plasmodium during feeding.
• Comparison focuses on chitin presence during the active stage.

Concept / Approach:
Because the feeding plasmodium of slime molds is wall-less, the quantity of chitin is effectively lower than in oomycetes (which already have little chitin). Some cellulose or chitinous material may appear in certain reproductive structures, but not in the active plasmodium used for comparison here.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Define the structures compared: slime mold plasmodium vs. oomycete mycelium. Note the absence of a rigid wall in the plasmodium. Recognize that oomycetes, though cellulose-based, still have more structured walls than a wall-less plasmodium. Conclude the plasmodium has lesser chitin than the water mold mycelium.

Verification / Alternative check:
Microscopy shows plasmodia flowing and streaming, behaviors incompatible with a rigid, chitinous wall, confirming minimal chitin during active growth.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
“Greater” or “equal” contradicts the wall-less state; “none of the above” adds no clarity; equating with true fungi ignores their chitin-rich walls.

Common Pitfalls:
Generalizing from reproductive structures (which may have walls) to the feeding plasmodium; the question targets the vegetative active stage.

Final Answer:
Lesser than the water mold mycelium.