Fjerdingstad EJ. (1970). Ultrastructure of the spicules of Spongilla lacustris (L.). In: Fry WG (ed) The Biology of the Porifera. Zoological Society of London, Academic Press London, pp 125-133.

277308

Fjerdingstad EJ

1970

Publication

Proceedings of the 1st international Sponge Conference

Available for editors   [request]

The ultrastructure of the silica skeleton needles (spicules) of the freshwater sponge Spongilla lac71st'ris (L., 1759) has been investigated using electron microscopy of ultrathin sections of osmium tetroxide fixed, Epon embedded material. In contrast to earlier con- clusions based on conventional and polarized light microscopy, it appears that the spicules are formed of submicroscopic quartz crystallites arranged in a plane perpen- dicular to the longitudinal axis of the spicule. Treatment of the sections with hydrofiuoric acid removes the crystallites completely, leaving other spicule structures intact. The implications of these results and the conflicting earlier evidence are discussed, together with some contradictory results obtained with electron diffraction methods.

Porifera

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