Premium
A RE‐EXAMINATION OF THE GLANDULAR ELEMENTS IN THE TUBE FEET OF SOME COMMON BRITISH OPHIUROIDS
Author(s) -
BUCHANAN JOHN B.
Publication year - 1962
Publication title -
proceedings of the zoological society of london
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1469-7998
pISSN - 0370-2774
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7998.1962.tb05336.x
Subject(s) - tube (container) , ancient history , history , engineering , waste management
Previous work on the tube‐foot glands of ophiuroids is reviewed briefly and it is observed that there is some confusion concerning their nomenclature and functions. In Ophiothrix two different types of possible glandular elements have been reported. In the present paper these are designated “A” and “B” and their staining reactions are re‐examined and compared. In Ophiothrix and Ophiopholis elements “A” show none of the staining reactions expected of a protein‐carbohydrate complex. Elements “B” although weakly positive for acid‐mucopolysaccharides exhibit also the staining reactions of a protein‐carbohydrate complex which can be classified as a neutral mucopolysaccharide or a muco‐ or glycoprotein. In Ophiocomina glands are described which secrete an acid‐mucopolysaccharide. In Amphiura the staining reactions of the glands point to a mixed secretion consisting partly of an acid mucopolysaccharide and partly of another PAS positive protein‐carbohydrate complex.