134 PARASITIC AMCEBJE OF MAN. 



Simple division occurs as in Entamceba coU, the 

 nucleus dividing into two almost equal portions fol- 

 lowed by the division of the cytoplasm, which results 

 in the production of two motile amoebae. Schaudinn 

 described the division of the nucleus as amitotic in 

 character, but if the iron-hsemotoxylin method of 

 staining be employed, the division is seen to be mitotic, 

 the karyosome dividing with the formation of a nu- 

 clear spindle and a central spindle formed by the 

 division of the centriola. The observations concern- 

 ing the mitotic division of the nucleus in this species 

 have been confirmed by H. Werner, who describes 

 the process very accurately. 



Reproduction by budding or gemmation consists 

 in the formation of small daughter amoebae which are 

 pinched or budded off from the periphery of the 

 mother organism. This process is initiated by the 

 distribution of the nuclear chromatin to the cyto- 

 plasm, a portion of the nucleus undergoing degenera- 

 tion. The chromatin collects into small meshes form- 

 ing a portion of the nucleus of the young amoebaa, and 

 is finally extruded from the parasite, together with 

 a portion of the cytoplasm. This process is quite 

 similar to sporulation, but does not result in the 

 formation of resistant spores. In specimens stained 

 with iron hasmatoxylin the chromatin appears in the 

 form of dots and threads distributed in the cytoplasm 



