[hee-lee-uh-zoh-uh
n] 
| 1. | a protozoan of the order Heliozoa, having a spherical body and radiating pseudopods. |
| 2. | Also, he⋅li⋅o⋅zo⋅ic [hee-lee-uh-zoh-ik] . belonging or pertaining to the Heliozoa. |
| he·li·o·zo·an (hē'lē-ə-zō'ən) n. Any of various aquatic protozoans of the order Heliozoa, having numerous spindlelike pseudopods that radiate from a central cell mass. [From New Latin Hēliozōa, class name : helio- (from their shape) + -zōa, pl. of -zōon, -zoon.] he'li·o·zo'ic (-zō'ĭk) adj. |
heliozoan
any member of the protozoan class Heliozoea (superclass Actinopoda). Heliozoans are spherical and predominantly freshwater and are found either floating or stalked. They are frequently enveloped by a shell (or test) composed of silica or organic material secreted by the organism in the form of scales or pieces in a gelatinous covering. The secretions exhibit a wide variety of shapes, which may help in species identification. The numerous radiating cytoplasmic masses, called pseudopodia (axopodia), are used more for capturing food than for locomotion. Heliozoans ingest protozoans, algae, and other small organisms and reproduce asexually by binary fission or by budding. Flagellated forms, which may be gametes, have been described in several genera.
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