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Article: Reversible Alteration of Morphology in an Invertebrate Erythrocyte: Properties of the Natural Inducer and the Cellular Response.
- Article from:
- The Biological Bulletin
- Article date:
- December 1, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 Marine Biological Laboratory. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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WILLIAM D. COHEN [*]
Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College of CUNY, 695 Park Ave., New York, New York 10021; and Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543
Abstract. The normal shape of the erythrocytes of the bivalves known as blood clams is maintained by a marginal band (MB) of microtubules. When hemolymph (or "blood") is withdrawn from the animal, its erythrocytes change, within minutes, from the normal smooth-surfaced, flattened ellipsoids (N-cells) to spheroids with folded surfaces (X-cells). This alteration can be prevented by rapidly diluting the hemolymph with physiological medium, yielding N-cells for use in ...