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RESEARCH PRODUCT
Fine Structure of the Tunic ofCiona intestinalisL. II. Tunic morphology, cell distribution and their functional importance
Giovanni FrittittaEleonora PatricoloGiacomo De Leosubject
PhagocyteCellGranule (cell biology)Ground substanceCell BiologyAnatomyBiologybiology.organism_classificationCell biologylaw.inventionmedicine.anatomical_structureFunctional importancelawembryonic structuresmedicineAnimal Science and ZoologyCiona intestinalisElectron microscopeEcology Evolution Behavior and SystematicsSingle layerdescription
Ciona intestinalis L. tunic architecture and cell distribution were investigated with the electron microscope. The observations showed that the ascidian covering is formed by a thin outer cuticle, a subcuticle of variable width and a large single layer of ground substance. “Large granule”, morula, phagocyte and granulocyte are the cellular types encountered; they appear mainly in highly vacuolated states and are distributed throughout the whole tunic. The “large granule” cells, however, are mainly seen in the cuticle layer and the morula cells appear mostly in the outer zone of the ground substance. The role of these cells in tunic construction, repair and regeneration as well as their scavenging function are discussed.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981-12-01 | Acta Zoologica |