Phase relations of oscillatory contraction cycles in Physarum plasmodia. I: A serial infrared registration device and its application to different plasmodial stages

Abstract A new and inexpensive electronic device is described which enables serial registrations of the oscillatory contraction activities at closely neighbouring sites within plasmodia of Physarum polycephalum. At the same time, this new construction allows the immediate automatic transformation of the original sinusoidal contraction curves into multiple phase graphs. The application on different stages of plasmodia reveals phase gradients as a characteristic phenomenon especially in isolated objects. The investigation of plasmodial strands without endoplasm demonstrates that the radial activities represent active contractile phenomena of the ectoplasmic tube.