Organization of a phyllobranchiate gill from the green shore crab Carcinus maenas (Crustacea, Decapoda)
Date
1990
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Abstract
The phyllobranchiate gills of the green shore
crab Carcinus maenas have been examined histologically
and ultrastructurally. Each gill lamella is bounded by
a chitinous cuticle. The apical surface of the branchial
epithelium contacts this cuticle, and a basal lamina segregates
the epithelium from an intralamellar hemocoel.
In animals acclimated to normal sea water, five epithelial
cell types can be identified in the lamellae of the posterior
gills: chief cells, striated cells, pillar cells, nephrocytes,
and glycocytes. Chief cells are the predominant cells in
the branchial epithelium. They are squamous or low cuboidal
and likely play a role in respiration. Striated cells,
which are probably involved in ionoregulation, are also
squamous or low cuboidal. Basal folds of the striated
ceils contain mitochondria and interdigitate with the
bodies and processes of adjacent ceils, Pillar cells span
the hemocoel to link the proximal and distal sides of
a lamella. Nephrocytes are large, spherical cells with voluminous
vacuoles. They are rimmed by foot processes
or pedicels and frequently associate with the pillar cells.
Glycocytes are pleomorphic cells packed with glycogen
granules and multigranular rosettes. The glycocytes often
mingle with the nephrocytes. Inclusion of the nephrocytes
and glycocytes as members of the branchial epithelium
is justified by their participation in intercellular
junctions and their position internal to the epithelial basal
lamina.
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Keywords
Biology
Citation
Saul H, Goodman and Michael J. Cavey "Organization of a phyllobranchiate gill from the green shore crab Carcinus maenas (Crustacea, Decapoda)" Cell Tissue Res (1990) 260:495-505