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Ultrastructure of the collar of the choanoflagellate Codonosiga botrytis (Ehrenb.)

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Summary

The ultrastructure of the “collar”of Codonosiga botrytis (Ehrenb.) has been investigated using ultrathin sections and it has been compared with the morphology of the collar in the dark field microscope.

Previous observations by other authors showing that the collar consists of number of long submicroscopic projections from the cell has been confirmed. By dark field microscopy this was found also to be the case with the living flagellates.

It is shown that the projections are really pseudopodia, because they are limited by a “unit membrane”, which is identical with the cell membrane surrounding the remaining part of the cell. At the base of the collar a vacuole is found, probably serving as a nutritive vacuole. This vacuole is found between the base of a collar pseudopodium and the base of a similar but shorter pseudopodium.

The structure of the envelope surrounding the flagellate is discussed. It seems that it may have some importance for reinforcing the collar. A short account is also given of the structure of the basal part of the flagellum.

The function of the collar is discussed and it is demonstrated, that it works as a filtering organelle, as is the case with the collar of sponge choanocytes.

The similarity and differences between choanoflagellates and choanocytes of sponges are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of General Zoology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

    Ejnar Jules Fjerdingstad

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  1. Ejnar Jules Fjerdingstad
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Acknowledgments. My best thanks are due to Professor H. V. Brøndsted, Ph. D. for valuable advice during the work and in the preparation of the manuscript. — Thanks are also due to Professor K. G. Wingstrand, Ph. D. for helpful discussion. — The electron microscopy was carried out at the Biophysical Institute, and I am grateful to Professor J. Koch, Ph. D. for permission to use the electron microscope. — I am much indebted to Mr. F. Carlsen, M. Sc. for his everready helpfulness. — Thanks are due to Mr. K. J. Pedersen, M. Sc. for his kind help and advice during the writing of the manuscript.

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Fjerdingstad, E.J. Ultrastructure of the collar of the choanoflagellate Codonosiga botrytis (Ehrenb.). Zeitschrift für Zellforschung 54, 499–510 (1961). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00340451

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00340451

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