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Spontaneous Astomy: Loss of Oral Areas in Glaucoma chattoni *
Author(s) -
FRANKEL JOSEPH
Publication year - 1961
Publication title -
the journal of protozoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.067
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1550-7408
pISSN - 0022-3921
DOI - 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1961.tb01211.x
Subject(s) - axenic , incidence (geometry) , axenic culture , biology , physiology , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , physics , bacteria , optics
Specimens of Glaucoma chattoni lacking in oral areas and unable to divide were observed in both axenic and bacterized cultures. The frequency of incidence of astomy rose in the course of continued cultivation of G. chattoni A, which was the strain most extensively studied. Observations on silver impregnated animals from mass cultures, and studies of individually isolated living ciliates, have both led to the conclusion that all cells destined to become astomous pass through a certain definite sequence of events. These axe: 1. Initial damage, not microscopically detectable, predisposes the cell in such a way that within a few generattons all of its progeny become astomous. 2. The ability to complete normal stomatogenesis is lost; the cell cannot maintain normal posterior oral anlagen and also cannot regenerate following damage to the existing oral area. At this stage the cell can still divide, so that astomous opisthes are produced. 3. The existing oral area disappears shortly after the ability to produce new oral areas is lost. Loss of ability to divide occurs simultaneously with loss of oral areas. 4. Finally, there is increasing disorganization of the kineties, gradually decreasing activity and death. The incidence of astomy was compared in several different strains of G. chattoni , including two newly isolated from nature.