CYTOCHEMICAL AND ULTRASTRUCTURAL STUDIES OF THE SCALES OF THE AMEBA COCHLIOPODIUM-BILIMBOSUM (TESTACEA)

Cochliopodium bilimbostim, a testacean amoeba, has characteristic scal es on its dorsal surface. The structural components of these scales an d the process of scale formation were examined by electron microscopy and also by cytochemical staining for polysaccharides. Abundant vesicl es and vacuoles containing rudimentary scale-like structures were obse rved in the cytoplasm. During the transport of vacuoles from Golgi are a to the dorsal surface of the organism, the scales became fully devel oped. Fine grains of the cytochemical reaction products were detected in the scales, and the intensity of staining increased during the tran sport of the vacuoles. These results suggest that the scale components are assembled in vesicles that are derived from the Golgi complex. Th e vesicles then fuse to form vacuoles and, during transport of the vac uoles to the dorsal surface, the organization of the scales may be com pleted both morphologically and biochemically.