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A stereological analysis of developing egg chambers in Ephestia kuhniella
Author(s) -
Torres Joseph
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
journal of morphology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.652
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1097-4687
pISSN - 0362-2525
DOI - 10.1002/jmor.1051670307
Subject(s) - ovariole , oocyte , biology , follicle , yolk , hemolymph , ultrastructure , vitellogenesis , microbiology and biotechnology , andrology , anatomy , embryo , botany , ecology , medicine
A polytrophic ovariole of the flour moth, Ephestia kuhniella , is composed of a linear series of increasingly mature egg chambers, each consisting of an oocyte, an interconnected cluster of seven nurse cells, and a covering layer of follicle cells. This study describes changes in the volume of each component as a function of the position of the egg chamber in the ovariole. Analysis of the growth curve of the Ephestia oocyte yields two possible correlations between accelerated oocyte growth and ultrastructural events enhancing the supply of yolk materials to the oocyte: the first is the initiation of yolk synthesis by the follicle cell layer and its transfer to the oocyte, and the second is the formation of channels between the follicle cells allowing hemolymph to gain access to the oocyte. An Ephestia oocyte increases in volume from approximately 2.5 × 10 3 μm 3 to approximately 2.0 × 10 7 μm 3 over an average series of 58 egg chambers.