56 



PROTOZOOLOGY 



^ — mfp 



Fig. 17. Diagrams showing the neuromotor apparatus of Euplotes 

 patella (Taylor), a, diagrammatic dorsal view of the entire apparatus, 

 X1600; b, dissected portion of disintegrating membranella fiber plates 

 attached to the membranella fiber; c, a dissociated fiber plate of a 

 frontal cirrus with its attached fibers, X1450. acf, anal cirrus fiber; 

 afp, anal fiber plate; eg, small and large ectoplasmic granules; m, 

 motorium; mf, membranella fiber; mfp, membranella fiber plate. 



branella-fiber anteriorly, and then to left along the proximal bor- 

 der of the oral lip and the bases of all membranellae. Yocom 

 further noticed that within the lip there was a latticework struc- 

 ture whose bases very closely approximate the cytostomal fiber. 

 Taylor (1920) recognized two additional groups of fibrils in the 

 same organism: 1) membranella fiber plates, each of which is 

 contiguous with a membranella basal plate, and is attached at 

 one end to the membranella fiber; 2) dissociated fiber plates 

 contiguous with the basal plates of the frontal, ventral and 

 marginal cirri, to each of which are attached the dissociated fibers 

 (c). By means of microdissection needles, Taylor demonstrated 

 that these fibers have nothing to do with the maintainance of 

 body form since there results no deformity when Euplotes is 

 cut fully two-thirds its width, thus cutting the fibers, and that 

 when the motorium is destroyed or its attached fibers are cut, 

 there is no coordination in the movements of the adoral mem- 

 branellae and anal cirri. Turner (1933) however is inclined to 

 think that there is no motorium in this protozoan. 



