Scanning electron microscopic study of the tegumental surface of adult Schistosoma mekongi

Parasitology ◽  
1982 ◽  
Vol 85 (2) ◽  
pp. 325-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Vongpayabal ◽  
P. Sobhon ◽  
E. S. Upatham ◽  
C. Wanichanon ◽  
V. Mitranond ◽  
...  

SUMMARYThe surface topography of the tegument of adult Schistosoma mekongi was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In comparison to other species of human schistosomes the male tegument lacks tubercles and, except in the gynecophoral canal, also lacks spines; instead the surface is composed chiefly of trabeculae of highly perforated ridges which give it the ‘spongy’ appearance. In addition, there are 3 kinds of papillae interspersed on the surface among the ridges. The first is a doughnut-shaped papilla with a central crater which is most abundant on the ventral surface of the anterior part, on the floor of the gynecophoral canal and on the dorsal-lateral aspect of the tail. The second is a pleomorphic papilla with irregular shape and size, which is scattered throughout the dorso-lateral aspect of the middle part of the body. The third type of papilla has a uniform hemispherical shape, possesses a cilium projecting from its apex and probably corresponds to the ‘sensory papilla’ found in other species. The tegument of the female differs from that of the male by having numerous short spines over the whole surface; however, the pleomorphic papillae are much fewer in number and the ridges are much less developed than those of the male tegument; complex trabeculae are absent.

2001 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Dangprasert ◽  
W. Khawsuk ◽  
A. Meepool ◽  
C. Wanichanon ◽  
V. Viyanant ◽  
...  

Adult Fasciola gigantica are leaf-shaped with tapered anterior and posterior ends and measure about 35 mm in length and 15 mm in width across the mid section. Under the scanning electron microscope its surface appears rough due to the presence of numerous spines and surface foldings. Both oral and ventral suckers have thick rims covered with transverse folds and appear spineless. On the anterior part of the ventral surface of the body, the spines are small and closely-spaced. Each spine has a serrated edge with 16 to 20 sharp points, and measures about 20 μm in width and 30 μm in height. In the mid-region the spines increase in size (up to 54 μm in width and 58 μm in height) and number, especially towards the lateral aspect of the body. Towards the posterior end the spines progressively decrease in both size and number. The tegumental surface between the spines appears highly corrugated with transverse folds alternating with grooves. At higher magnifications the surface of each fold is further increased with a meshwork of small ridges separated by variable-sized pits or slits. There are three types of sensory papillae on the surface. Types 1 and 2 are bulbous, measuring 4–6 μm in diameter at the base with nipple-like tips, and the type 2 also have short cilia. Type 3 papillae are also bulbous and of similar size but with a smooth surface. These sensory papillae usually occur in clusters, each having between 2 and 15 units depending on the region of the body. Clusters of papillae on the lateral aspect (usually types 1 and 2) and around the suckers (type 3) tend to be more numerous and larger in size. The dorsal side of the body exhibits similar surface features, but the spines and papillae appear less numerous and are smaller. Corrugation and invaginations of the surface are also less extensive than on the ventral side of the body.


1979 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 187-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Zenian ◽  
P. Rowles ◽  
D. Gingell

The interaction of promastigotes of the protozoan parasite Leishmania tropica with mouse peritoneal macrophages in vitro was studied by scanning electron microscopy. Motile promastigotes attached to host cells by their flagellar tips to which the macrophages responded by producing rather closely fitting lamellar sheaths and progressively enveloping first the flagellum and then the body of the parasite. Lamellar advance during engulfment was rapid in the first 10 min but much slower later on. Fully engulfed parasites could be seen after 1 h but most parasites associated with host cells remained extracellular even after 4 h. On the other hand, parasites immobilized by fixation adhered by either their flagellar or somatic ends. Engulfment proceeded at a steady rate, and by 4 h most of them were completely engulfed. Both the attachment and engulfment stages of parasite uptake were inhibited by low temperature, cytochalasin D and mild fixation of macrophages. The rheological features of the host cells' response to parasite adherence indicate that invasion by parasites is through phagocytosis rather than penetration.


1982 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 471-484
Author(s):  
J.N. Grim

There is a layer of microtubules (MT) beneath the innermost pellicular membrane of the ciliated protozoan Euplotes eurystomus. These MT have been revealed for scanning electron microscopic study by chemical dissection techniques. In much of the body of this ciliate, these MT are oriented parallel to its long axis. Those directed towards cirri, which are complex ciliary structures of the ventral surface, either abut or bend around the cirral base. MT adjacent to or closely associated with the ciliary feeding structures (membranelles of the adoral zone of membranelles or AZM) are oriented parallel to the long axis of the AZM. Some of the MT within the oral cavity have quite complex paths. The various orientations of these subpellicular MT are discussed and evaluated for hypothetical functions of cytoskeletal support, cell shaping and organelle movement. Each of these roles is considered to be theoretically possible.


Author(s):  
Toichiro Kuwabara

Although scanning electron microscopy has a great potential in biological application, there are certain limitations in visualization of the biological structure. Satisfactory techniques to demonstrate natural surfaces of the tissue and the cell have been reported by several investigators. However, it is commonly found that the surface cell membrane is covered with a minute amount of mucin, secretory substance or tissue fluid as physiological, pathological or artefactual condition. These substances give a false surface appearance, especially when the tissue is fixed with strong fixatives. It seems important to remove these coating substances from the surface of the cell for demonstration of the true structure.


Author(s):  
T. Kanetaka ◽  
M. Cho ◽  
S. Kawamura ◽  
T. Sado ◽  
K. Hara

The authors have investigated the dissolution process of human cholesterol gallstones using a scanning electron microscope(SEM). This study was carried out by comparing control gallstones incubated in beagle bile with gallstones obtained from patients who were treated with chenodeoxycholic acid(CDCA).The cholesterol gallstones for this study were obtained from 14 patients. Three control patients were treated without CDCA and eleven patients were treated with CDCA 300-600 mg/day for periods ranging from four to twenty five months. It was confirmed through chemical analysis that these gallstones contained more than 80% cholesterol in both the outer surface and the core.The specimen were obtained from the outer surface and the core of the gallstones. Each specimen was attached to alminum sheet and coated with carbon to 100Å thickness. The SEM observation was made by Hitachi S-550 with 20 kV acceleration voltage and with 60-20, 000X magnification.


Author(s):  
Peter M. Andrews

Although there have been a number of recent scanning electron microscopic reports on the renal glomerulus, the advantages of scanning electron microscopy have not yet been applied to a systematic study of the uriniferous tubules. In the present investigation, scanning electron microscopy was used to study the ultrastructural morphology of the proximal, distal, thin loop, and collecting tubules. Material for observation was taken from rat kidneys which were fixed by vascular perfusion, sectioned by either cutting or fracturing technigues, and critically point dried.The brush border characterising proximal tubules is first detected on the luminal surface of Bowman's capsule adjacent to the urinary pole orifice. In this region one frequently finds irregular microvilli characterized by broad and flattened bases with occasional bulbous structures protruding from their surfaces.


Author(s):  
G.C. Bellolio ◽  
K.S. Lohrmann ◽  
E.M. Dupré

Argopecten purpuratus is a scallop distributed in the Pacific coast of Chile and Peru. Although this species is mass cultured in both countries there is no morphological description available of the development of this bivalve except for few characterizations of some larval stages described for culture purposes. In this work veliger larvae (app. 140 pm length) were examined by the scanning electron microscope (SEM) in order to study some aspects of the organogenesis of this species.Veliger larvae were obtained from hatchery cultures, relaxed with a solution of MgCl2 and killed by slow addition of 21 glutaraldehyde (GA) in seawater (SW). They were fixed in 2% GA in calcium free artificial SW (pH 8.3), rinsed 3 times in calcium free SW, and dehydrated in a graded ethanol series. The larvae were critical point dried and mounted on double scotch tape (DST). To permit internal view, some valves were removed by slightly pressing and lifting the tip of a cactus spine wrapped with DST, The samples were coated with 20 nm gold and examined with a JEOL JSM T-300 operated at 15 KV.


Author(s):  
R. A. Nunamaker ◽  
C. E. Nunamaker ◽  
B. C. Wick

Culicoides variipennis (Coquillett) is probably the most economically important species of biting midge in the U.S. due to its involvement in the transmission of bluetongue (BT) disease of sheep, cattle and ruminant wildlife, and epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) of deer. Proposals have been made to recognize the eastern and western populations of this insect vector as distinct species. Others recommend use of the term “variipennis complex” until such time that the necessary biosystematic studies have been made to determine the genetic nature and/or minute morphological differences within the population structure over the entire geographic range of the species. Increasingly, students of ootaxonomy are relying on scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to assess chorionic features. This study was undertaken to provide comparative chorionic data for the C. variipennis complex.Culicoides variipennis eggs were collected from a laboratory colony maintained in Laramie, Wyoming.


Author(s):  
A. E. Hotchkiss ◽  
A. T. Hotchkiss ◽  
R. P. Apkarian

Multicellular green algae may be an ancestral form of the vascular plants. These algae exhibit cell wall structure, chlorophyll pigmentation, and physiological processes similar to those of higher plants. The presence of a vascular system which provides water, minerals, and nutrients to remote tissues in higher plants was believed unnecessary for the algae. Among the green algae, the Chaetophorales are complex highly branched forms that might require some means of nutrient transport. The Chaetophorales do possess apical meristematic groups of cells that have growth orientations suggestive of stem and root positions. Branches of Chaetophora incressata were examined by the scanning electron microscope (SEM) for ultrastructural evidence of pro-vascular transport.


1981 ◽  
Vol 45 (03) ◽  
pp. 276-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Ishimaru ◽  
E Berglin ◽  
H-A Hansson ◽  
A-C Teger-Nilsson ◽  
G William-Olsson

SummaryA segment of the inferior vena cava was replaced by an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene graft in 13 dogs. Five of them served as a control group, while the other 8 were moderately or severely defibrinogenated with subcutaneous batroxobin. Plasma fibrinogen decreased to extremely low values throughout the experiment in the defibrinogenated dogs except in the moderately treated group in which it temporarily rose to 0.72-0.87 g/1 on the first postoperative day.Scanning electron microscopic observations of the haemostatic clot formed at the anastomoses of the graft revealed no significant morphological differences in platelet adhesion and/or aggregation between the three groups. These findings confirmed that platelets play a key role in primary haemostasis during defibrinogenation.The fibrin network was slightly diminished and only short fibrin filaments could be seen in the moderately and severely defibrinogenated groups respectively. These differences in composition of the clots are discussed in relation to their haemostatic capacity.


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