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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Ref ID : 851

J.D. Popham and J.M. Webster; Cadmium toxicity in the free-living nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans. Environ.Res. 20:183-191, 1979

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The effect of cadmium on the fecundity, growth, and fine structure of the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans was studied. High concentrations of cadmium significantly decreased the fecundity and growth of these organisms. Electron microscopy showed that cadmium modifies the structure of the mitochondria in the oesophagus and intestine, causes the formation of inclusion bodies in nucleus of oesophageal cells, and alters the morphology of cytosomes in the intestinal cells. The results suggest that the decreased fecundity and growth of cadmium-exposed C. elegans may be due to cadmium interfering with nutrient uptake of assimilation or both.