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Ultrastructure of carpogonia and carpogonial branches of Batrachospermum helminthosum and Batrachospermum involution (Batrachospermales, Rhodophyta)
Author(s) -
Sheath Robert G.,
Müller Kirsten M.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
phycological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.438
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1440-1835
pISSN - 1322-0829
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1835.1997.tb00073.x
Subject(s) - biology , ultrastructure , involution (esoterism) , botany , nucleus , endoplasmic reticulum , anatomy , microbiology and biotechnology , consciousness , neuroscience
SUMMARY The carpogonial branches of Batrachospermum involutum of section Batrachospermum are similar in ultrastructure to nearby fascicles, having uninucleate cells with abundant starch granules and several peripheral, well‐developed chloropiasts (up to 10 μm long). In contrast, the short carpogonial branch cells of Batrachospermum helminthosum (section Virescentia ) have no visible starch and chloropiasts are reduced in size (up to 2 μm long) with few thylakoids. The breakdown of cross walls among cells of the carpogonial branch is also common in B. helminthosum but does not occur in B. involutum. As a result of cross wall breakdown in the former species, 2‐7 nuclei can occur in a continuous cytoplasm. Trichogynes in both species contain scattered mitochondria, vesicles/small vacuoles, osmiophilic globules, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and small chloropiasts. Polylamellate structures also occur in the trichogyne in B. involution. The carpogonial base was fully observed only in B. involutum and it contains a prominent nucleus, ER, chloropiasts and a pit plug connecting it to the subtending carpogonial branch cell. Partial observations of carpogonial branches and carpogonia were made on four other members of the family Batrachospermaceae.