aOLGI AND VACUOME 105 



(Fig. 55, E, F) the vacuoles are seen within the sphere 

 formed by the Golgi elements. After the formation of the 

 acrosome the Golgi remnants move down the tail, each usually 

 accompanied by its vacuole. In Cavia cohaya (Fig. 55, A-D) the 

 vacuoles are outside the idioplasm with its Golgi cortex, although 

 near it. The vacuoles do not appear to play any part in the 

 formation of the acrosome, and later move away down the tail 

 with the Golgi remnants. The acrosome stains deeply in neutral 

 red. He also draws attention to the Y-granules described in 

 Saccocirrus (33), and places them in the vacuolar system as they 

 behave similarly to those mentioned above. These were seen in 

 chrome-osmium techniques, which is unusual, and such a demon- 

 stration is only likely under certain conditions. Voinov (131), for 

 examj^le, describes similar structures in the spermatid oiNotonecta. 



This study has therefore finally disproved the vacuome theory 

 as enunciated bv Parat and others. It remains to examine what 

 truth underlies the facts. 



There is accumulating proof of a vacuome as a constant 

 feature of animal cells ; this point was emphasised by Bo wen (12). 

 Bowen savs : "I believe that in focusing his attention on the 

 supposed relation between the Golgi apparatus and vacuoles, 

 Parat has missed exactly what might prove to be the most interest- 

 ing feature of his studies . . . the problems presented by the 

 vacuome as such are in themselves of far-reaching interest." 



These problems mentioned by Bowen are enumerated by him as 

 follows : Is the vacuome a constant feature of the animal cell as 

 it is of the plant ? The importance of this is at once obvious. If it 

 is simply a chance collection of secretory granules found only in 

 certain specialised types of cell, then the problem is merely 

 parochial. On the other hand, if it is found in all cells, then the 

 vacuome may have to be raised to the same degree of importance 

 as the Golgi apparatus and other protoplasmic inclusions. 

 Secondly : what is the relationship between the vacuome and the 

 Golgi apparatus ? It is evident from Parat's observations that 

 an intimate topographical relationship does occur between the 

 Golgi apparatus and the vacuome in a great many cases ; even 

 allowing for some cases of mistaken interpretation. (Gatenby does 



