A detailed study of the endoderm of hydra

The flagella of the endodermal cells of hydra have their origin in the form of a cytoplasmic spherule which appears on the cell membrane just above the blepharoplast. This spherule moves outward, and in doing so forms a small cylinder, which, in time, flattens down into a ribbon‐like flagellum, the edge of which is slightly thickened. Endodermal cells were found to bear from one to five of these flagella. Dissociated endodermal cells become amoeboid and are able to move about quite freely, taking up particles of food with pseudopods; these cells are also able to elaborate flagella. In the normal well‐fed hydra the endodermal cells are found to fragment endogenously; these endogenous fragments pass to the tentacles and other outlying regions, where they are taken up by the endo‐epithelio cells lining these regions. The endoderm is frequently thrown into villi of quite large size: these villi, when studied over a period of days, are found to deteriorate; the cells which composed them wander to the tentacles, buds, and basal regions by means of their flagella and amoeboid movement, where they deteriorate, the cell particles being taken up by the epithelio cells lining these areas.