Summary
The fine structure of the prothoracic glands of Spodoptera littoralis was investigated during the first half of the last larval instar. The secretory cells have two types of mitochondria, micromitochondria and macromitochondria. The micromitochondria have rounded to elongated profiles and sometimes branch. They contain lamellar, tubular and also tubulo-vesicular cristae. The macromitochondria appear generally rounded or oval and possess tubular cristae. Many regular parallel membranes appear within macromitochondria. Favorable sections show tubular structures packed in honeycomb fashion. The mitochondrial cristae are in connection with the tubular structures. Honeycomb and parallel membranes increase in number as the size of the macromitochondria increases.
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The present study was carried out in the newly established Electron Microscopy Laboratory under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Semahat Geldiay. The Jeol 100 C Electron microscope was obtained by a grant of NATO and the help of the Science Faculty; some laboratory instruments were obtained from Cento. Prof. Geldiay and I are grateful to Nato, Cento and the Science Faculty of Ege University.
The author thanks Prof. Dr. S. Geldiay and Prof. Dr. B. Scharrer for their valuable discussions and critical reading of the manuscript, and to Z. Cağarli for correcting its English.
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Karaçali, S. Crystalloid structures within giant mitochondria of the prothoracic glands of Spodoptera littoralis (Bois) (Lepidoptera). Cell Tissue Res. 191, 357–362 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00222430
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00222430