Vincent Glover, age 15, of Camden, N.J., for his question:

HOW LARGE IS AN AMOEBA?

An amoeba is a one celled animal that can be only be seen if placed under a microscope. Each amoeba is one one hundredth of an inch in length. This means it would take 100 amoeba side by side to measure one inch.

In the amoeba's single cell is a shapeless mass called protoplasm. It is the living, jellylike material found in the cells of all living things.

Amoeba have no feet and in order to move about they must change the shape of their bodies. They eat other one celled animals and tiny plant life, such as bacteria.

Some amoeba live on water plants while others live in moist ground. Still other amoeba are parasites and live in animals.

Most amoebas are harmless to man but one kind can cause an illness called amoebic dysentery if it gets into the intestines.