17:28 Jan 15, 2010 

In my opinion, we need to differentiate between 'non-pathogenic amoebae' and 'pathogenic amoebae'. Non-pathogenic amoebae can further be divided in two categories: 'naked amoebae' and 'shelled or testate (from 'test' = shell) amoebae'.
The sell/test – which serves as a protection against predators - is made of tiny sand particles glued together or from a protein-sugar compound.

‘Entamoeba histolytica’ is a pathogenic amoeba that usually enters the body through contaminated food or water. These are contaminated with faeces that contain an Entamoeba histolytica cyst. ‘Entamoeba histolytica’ is translated into Arabic as الأميبا المتحوصلةor المتكيسة or الزحار الأميبي.

Because of these differences between a shell/test and a cyst (حوصلة) and because it is not clear from the context whether we are dealing here with a pathogenic amoeba, I don’t think ‘shelled amoeba’ should be translated as الأميبا المتحوصلة المتكيسة. I, therefore, suggest the following translation أميبا ذات قشرة غشاء صلب.

The Arab Encyclopedia talks about غشاؤها(الأميبا) الهيولي مجرد من أي بناء هيكلي خارجي، لكن قد تغطي سطح الأميبات الخارجي طبقةٌ رقيقة من عديدات السَّكَرَّيْد المخاطية تفيد في تثبيت الحيوان