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Ultrastructural studies of oogenesis in some European amphibians

I. Rana esculenta and Rana temporaria

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Summary

Oogenesis was studied in adult Rana temporaria and Rana esculenta with the electron microscope. It takes an almost identical course in both animals. Three types of yolk bodies were found. These differ in their genesis as well as in their morphological appearance in the mature oocyte. In accordance with their morphogenesis they were named: 1. mitochondrial matrix yolk (MMY), 2. intracristal yolk (ICY) and 3. vesicular yolk (VY). MMY is formed within the mitochondrial matrix and has a centre to centre spacing of the crystalline lattice of approximately 165 Å. ICY is formed within the cristae and has a centre to centre spacing of the crystalline lattice of 85 Å. Vesicular yolk is formed through uptake of pinocytotic vesicles into multivesicular bodies and has a centre to centre spacing of the crystalline lattice of approximately 95 Å. The formation of the three types of crystalline inclusion bodies is discussed in view of a possible intraoocytic or extraoocytic origin of the incorporated material.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Abteilung Anatomie der Rheinisch-Westfälischen Technischen Hochschule Aachen, Germany

    Annetrudi Kress & Udo M. Spornitz

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  1. Annetrudi Kress
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  2. Udo M. Spornitz
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The authors wish to thank Prof. Dr. K. S. Ludwig for his valuable criticism and encouragement during the course of this study. Dr. D. Hare for correcting the English manuscript and Messrs. C. Evers and H. Boffin for their capable assistance.

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Kress, A., Spornitz, U.M. Ultrastructural studies of oogenesis in some European amphibians. Z.Zellforsch 128, 438–456 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00306981

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