ISSN:
1432-0878
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine
Notes:
Summary 1. A type of Spirostomum ambiguum major is described which becomes highly vacuolated under its optimum conditions, in contradistinction to the general rule in ciliates. 2. The vacuolated region of this animal makes up the entire bulk save for a very thin outer cytoplasmic layer. 3. The vacuolar system was found to be very stable under efforts to break it down with the microneedle. 4. The walls of the vacuoles were difficult to pierce and were extremely elastic. 5. Food balls and the sausagelike macronucleus are suspended in the meshwork and were manipulated through it by the microneedle without disturbing the system. 6. The macronucleus showed definite optical structure and was of high consistency. 7. The protoplasm did not show movement but food balls were able in some manner to circulate through it. 8. The cytoplasmic inclusions were distributed through the outer layer and the vacuolated protoplasm, occurring in the latter only at inter-sections. They could not be driven out of the vacuolar walls by the needle but in one instance could be pushed some distance between them. In disintegrating animals, however, inclusions were found to break into the the fluid vacuolar interiors in optically unchanged areas some distance from the point of injury.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00394169
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