Ref ID : 7579
E.C. Tatchell; An Ultrastructural Study of Prey Capture and Ingestion in Lacrymaria olor (O.F.M. 1786). Protistologica XVII(1):59-66, 1981
Reprint
In File
Notes
The prey of Lacrymaria olor is captured by the action of the toxicysts discharged from the apical dome. The process of ingestion of the captured prey involves the reorganisation of the structures of the oral region to form a cytostome from which the food vacuole develops. There are two stages in the process of ingestion, firstly, the ciliated crown expands and secondly, the apical dome collapses into the cavity created by this expansion. The microtubular ribbons associated with the apical dome remain in contact with the wall of the dome as it invaginates to become the lining of the cytostome. Measurements of the surface area of the developing food vacuole indicate that large amounts of membrane may be added to the cytostomial region as the prey is ingested. Evidence is presented concerning the mechanism with triggers the opening of the cytostome and theories concerning this process and the ingestion of the prey are discussed.