OBSERVATIONS ON THE VARIATIONS IN SIZE OF THE A REGION OF ARTHROPOD MUSCLE.
(1/10)
The muscles of three different arthropods, a mite, a fly, and an ostracod, show variations in the length of the A region within a given individual. There is no indication that the observed differences in A band length are related to the functional state of the muscle since little, if any, decrease in the length of the A bands was noted when sarcomeres shortened. The length of the A region was determined by polarized light microscopy and in the case of the mite and the ostracod this measurement was made on intact muscles. It is concluded that the size of the A filaments in an individual can vary in a manner unrelated to immediate functional changes. The I filaments may vary in size, but this could not be clearly demonstrated. (+info)
THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF CENTRIOLES AND THEIR SATELLITES IN THE JELLYFISH PHIALIDIUM GREGARIUM.
(2/10)
Testes of jellyfish Phialidium gregarium were fixed in 2 per cent OsO(4) in Veronal-acetate buffer at pH 7.4. Thin sections showed that in young spermatids the spindle fibers of the last maturation division are attached to satellites of the filament-forming centriole. In more mature spermatids this attachment is not observed. During the developmental phase, nine satellites can be observed emanating from the interspaces between the nine tubular triplets of this centriole. A circular region on each of the enlarged distal ends of the satellites attaches them to the cell membrane. The satellites apparently provide a firm anchor for the axial filament. Each of the epithelial cells covering the testis produces a single long flagellum. On the filament-forming centriole often a satellite can be observed to which tubules are attached. These tubules are 180 A in diameter and probably represent remnants of spindle fibers. It is suggested that the distal centriole has the ability to form several satellites or appendages at appropriate times during the cell cycle. These satellites are distinct from the daughter centrioles in that they are supportive structures: in certain phases of cell life, spindle fibers may attach to them, while in other instances the distal centriole and the flagellum it is forming are anchored by them. (+info)
STRUCTURE OF THE MACULA UTRICULI WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO DIRECTIONAL INTERPLAY OF SENSORY RESPONSES AS REVEALED BY MORPHOLOGICAL POLARIZATION.
(3/10)
The anatomy of the labyrinth and the structure of the macula utriculi of the teleost fish (burbot) Lota vulgaris was studied by dissection, phase contrast, and electron microscopy. The innervating nerve fibers end at the bottom of the sensory cells where two types of nerve endings are found, granulated and non-granulated. The ultrastructure and organization of the sensory hair bundles are described, and the finding that the receptor cells are morphologically polarized by the presence of an asymmetrically located kinocilium in the sensory hair bundle is discussed in terms of directional sensitivity. The pattern of orientation of the hair cells in the macula utriculi was determined, revealing a complicated morphological polarization of the sensory epithelium. The findings suggest that the interplay of sensory responses is intimately related to the directional sensitivity of the receptor cells as revealed by their morphological polarization. The problem of efferent innervation is discussed, and it is concluded that the positional information signaled by the nerve fibers innervating the vestibular organs comprises an intricate pattern of interacting afferent and efferent impulses (+info)
SARCOLEMMAL INVAGINATIONS CONSTITUTING THE T SYSTEM IN FISH MUSCLE FIBERS.
(4/10)
Striated muscle fibers from the body and tail myotomes of a fish, the black Mollie, have been examined with particular attention to the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and transverse tubular (or T) system. The material was fixed in osmium tetroxide and in glutaraldehyde, and the images provided by the two kinds of fixatives were compared. Glutaraldehyde fixes a fine structure that is broadly comparable with that preserved by osmium tetroxide alone but differs in some significant details. Especially significant improvements were obtained in the preservation of the T system, that is, the system of small tubules that pervades the fiber at every Z line or A-I junction level. As a result of this improved glutaraldehyde fixation, the T system is now clearly defined as an entity of fine structure distinct from the SR but uniquely associated with the SR and myofibrils. Glutaraldehyde fixation also reveals that the T system is a sarcolemmal derivative that retains its continuity with the sarcolemma and limits a space that is in direct communication with the extracellular environment. These structural features favor the conclusion that the T system plays a prominent role in the fast intracellular conduction of the excitatory impulse. The preservation of other elements of muscle fine structure, including the myofibrils, seems for reasons discussed, to be substantially improved by glutaraldehyde. (+info)
The development of archosaurian first-generation teeth in a chicken mutant.
(5/10)
Modern birds do not have teeth. Rather, they develop a specialized keratinized structure, called the rhamphotheca, that covers the mandible, maxillae, and premaxillae. Although recombination studies have shown that the avian epidermis can respond to tooth-inductive cues from mouse or lizard oral mesenchyme and participate in tooth formation, attempts to initiate tooth development de novo in birds have failed. Here, we describe the formation of teeth in the talpid2 chicken mutant, including the developmental processes and early molecular changes associated with the formation of teeth. Additionally, we show recapitulation of the early events seen in talpid2 after in vivo activation of beta-catenin in wild-type embryos. We compare the formation of teeth in the talpid2 mutant with that in the alligator and show the formation of decidedly archosaurian (crocodilian) first-generation teeth in an avian embryo. The formation of teeth in the mutant is coupled with alterations in the specification of the oral/aboral boundary of the jaw. We propose an epigenetic model of the developmental modification of dentition in avian evolution; in this model, changes in the relative position of a lateral signaling center over competent odontogenic mesenchyme led to loss of teeth in avians while maintaining tooth developmental potential. (+info)
Evaluation of the rabbit nasal cavity in inhalation studies and a comparison with other common laboratory species and man.
(6/10)
Age-related changes in the central nervous system in selected domestic mammals and primates.
(7/10)
Aging is a process which operates at many levels of physiological, genetic and molecular organization and leads inevitably to death. Brain macroscopic changes by MRI investigation during aging were observed in humans and dogs but chimpanzees did not display significant changes. This suggestion led to the statement that brain aging is different in various species. Although human brain changes, e.g. beta-amyloid storage, neurofibrillary tangle formation, lipofuscin, are relatively well known, we are still looking for a suitable animal model to study the mechanisms of aging and neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, this paper presents a comparative analysis of the changes described in the brains of senile dog, horse and gorilla. In addition we present the latest, non-invasive methods that can be applied in the diagnosis of old age in mammals. Our considerations have shown that the best animal model for further studies and observations on aging is the dog. (+info)
Normal osteoid tissue.
(8/10)
The results of a histological study of normal osteoid tissue in man, the monkey, the dog, and the rat, using thin microtome sections of plastic-embedded undecalcified bone, are described. Osteoid tissue covers the entire bone surface, except for areas of active resorption, although the thickness of the layer of osteoid tissue varies at different sites and in different species of animals. The histological features of osteoid tissue, apart from its amount, are the same in the different species studied. Distinct bands or zones are recognizable in some layers of osteoid tissue, particularly those of greatest thickness, and their significance is discussed. Some of the histological features of the calcification front are described. (+info)