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Yolk-platelet crystals in three ancient bony fishes: Polypterus bichir (polypteri), Amia calva L., and Lepisosteus osseus (L.) (Holostei)

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Summary

Yolk-platelet crystals in Amia calva L., Lepisosteus osseus (L.) and Polypterus bichir have orthorhombic features with unit-cell dimensions a= 8.3...8.8 nm, b= 16.4...16.9 nm and c= 18.6...19.8 nm as determined in electron-diffraction patterns of fixed, epoxy-resin embedded and thinsectioned material. Electron-diffraction patterns, crystal projections and the above unit-cell data make them extremely similar to the orthorhombic yolkplatelet crystals known for amphibians and teleosts. This observation fills a gap in yolk-platelet research and supports the view that the general architecture of yolk platelets has been conserved for nearly 400 million years. It follows that the peculiar platelet architecture itself has physiological significance.

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Lange, R.H., Grodziński, Z. & Kilarski, W. Yolk-platelet crystals in three ancient bony fishes: Polypterus bichir (polypteri), Amia calva L., and Lepisosteus osseus (L.) (Holostei). Cell Tissue Res. 222, 159–165 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00218296

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