Summary
Kinocilia of epidermal sensory cells in fixed marine Turbellaria often terminate as flattened biconcave discs. The distal part of the ciliary axoneme curves back upon itself forming a 360° loop which is enveloped by the plasmalemma. In living animals this structure can be induced by the addition of sodium cacodylate, monobasic sodium phosphate, dibasic sodium phosphate, sucrose, calcium chloride, or formaldehyde to the sea water. Specimens treated with sodium chloride, glutaraldehyde, or osmium tetroxide do not show modified cilia. In animals prepared for EM at low temperature and with a buffered hypotonic fixative less kinocilia are modified than in animals treated with a buffered iso- or hypertonic fixative and at a higher temperature. It is assumed that the unusually shaped cilia, described as “paddle cilia” or “discocilia” in other invertebrates, do not represent a genuine but an artificial structure.
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Thanks are due to Dr. C. Marschall for correcting the English of the manuscript. Financial support was provided by the Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur, Mainz
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Ehlers, U., Ehlers, B. Paddle cilia and discocilia — Genuine structures?. Cell Tissue Res. 192, 489–501 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00212328
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00212328