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Fine Structure of the Tunic of Ciona intestinalis L. II. Tunic morphology, cell distribution and their functional importance
Author(s) -
Leo Giacomo,
Patricolo Eleonora,
Frittitta Giovanni
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
acta zoologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.414
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 1463-6395
pISSN - 0001-7272
DOI - 10.1111/j.1463-6395.1981.tb00634.x
Subject(s) - ciona intestinalis , biology , cuticle (hair) , granule (geology) , ground substance , microbiology and biotechnology , anatomy , connective tissue , biochemistry , genetics , gene , paleontology
Ciona intestinalis L. tunic architecture and cell distribution were investigated with the electron microscope. The observations showed that the ascidian covering is formed by a thin outer cuticle, a subcuticle of variable width and a large single layer of ground substance. “Large granule”, morula, phagocyte and granulocyte are the cellular types encountered; they appear mainly in highly vacuolated states and are distributed throughout the whole tunic. The “large granule” cells, however, are mainly seen in the cuticle layer and the morula cells appear mostly in the outer zone of the ground substance. The role of these cells in tunic construction, repair and regeneration as well as their scavenging function are discussed.