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STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE BRISTLES OF PEDIASTRUM BORYANUM (CHLOROPHYTA) 1
Author(s) -
Gawlik Stanley R.,
Millington William F.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of phycology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.85
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1529-8817
pISSN - 0022-3646
DOI - 10.1111/j.1529-8817.1988.tb04250.x
Subject(s) - bristle , biology , tuft , ultrastructure , anatomy , materials science , composite material , brush
Tufts of long delicate bristles were detected on mature colonies of Pediastrum boryanum (Turp.) Meneghini. The bristles are not uniform in length and can exceed 100 μm. Bristle number per tuft can exceed eighty. Ultrastructure studies revealed that tufts are an aggregate of hexagonal tubules arranged in staggered rows. Each hexagonal tubule has an inner diameter of 6 nm and is made up of six interconnected subunits 4 nm in diameter that are shared by adjoining tubules. The bristles can be easily removed from mature colonies with a vortex stirrer. Removal of bristles from mature colonies in culture results in the loss of buoyancy and subsequent settling to the bottom of the flask.