Do germ-line cells in Allacma fusca (Insecta, Collembola, Symphypleona) have a higher metabolic rate than somatic cells

• Authors: P. Swiatek , J. Klag , M. Romek
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Stereological analysis of the ultrastructure of primordial germ cells (PGCs) and the somatic (ectoderm) cells in two developmental stages of embryos and freshly hatched juveniles of Allacma fusca have shown great differences in mitochondria volume density (vd) between the two types of cells. In younger embryos (migration phase of the PGCs) the vd of mitochondria in the cytoplasm of the PGCs is 74.64% higher than in the ectoderm cells. In older embryos, (PGCs in the gonads) the vd of mitochondria is 123% higher than the corresponding value for the somatic cells cytoplasm. In the juvenile the vd of mitochondria in the ectoderm cells grows twice but is still only 2/3 of the value for the PGCs. On the basis of papers describing a direct relationship between stereological and physiological results the authors conclude that the metabolism of the primordial germ cells during embryonic development of Allacma fusca is much higher than that of the somatic ones. If the above conclusion is correct, the results presented here confirm the ?disposable soma theory? (Kirkwood & Holliday 1979).

Keywords

EN

ALLACMA FUSCA; EVOLUTION; GERM CELL; SENESCENCE; ULTRASTRUCTURE

Discipline

• ZOOLOGY: ZOOLOGY

• Publisher: Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Folia Biologica
• Year: 2001
• Volume: 49
• Issue: 1-2
• Pages: 85-90

Contributors

author

P. Swiatek

author

J. Klag

author

M. Romek

• Document Type: ARTICLE
• Publication order reference: P. Swiatek, Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University, R. Ingardena 6, 30-060 Krakow, Poland