Chris - Week 4: SEM Continued

During week 4, I continued my examination of cilia using scanning electron microscopy. In particular, I prepped and scanned 12.5 hour old larvae and 2-3 day old pilidia. The latter group was "cracked" by Svetlana. Essentially, she split them open so that their internal anatomy could be examined in more detail.

The 12.5 hour old larvae were supposed to display an intermediate level of ciliation between the 10 hour and 15 hour age groups. However, they ended up most resembling the 10 hour cohort, possibly due to differences in sea table temperature between the various cultures we were trying to compare.

 

Fig 1: An angled anterior/posterior view of
a 12.5 hour old M. alaskensis larva



Fig 2: An angled anterior/posterior view of a 12.5 hour old M. alaskensis larva



   The larva shown in Figures 1 and 2 both display cilia, particularly around the equatorial region along the periphery of the specimens. Note the patchy distribution of cilia. 

Fig 3: A lateral view of a "cracked" 2-3 day old
M. alaskenis pilidium

Fig 4: A lateral view of a "cracked" 2-3 day old
M. alaskenis pilidium

Figures 3 and 4 show M. alaskensis plidia  that have been "cracked" in order to reveal some of their internal structures. In Figure 3, note the various ciliated bands, both internal and external.