Annulate Lamellae in Hindgut Epithelial Cells of Isopoda

Abstract

In an ultra structural study of the digestive tract of the aquatic isopod, Asellus communis, and the terrestrial isopod, Armadillidium vulgare, annulate lamellae were observed in the large epithelial cells of the anterior hindgut. The isopod digestive tract consists of two pairs of hepatopancreatic lobes and a straight tube foregut and hindgut. The foregut extends from the mouth to the area of insertion of the hepatopancreas. The hindgut extends from this area of insertion to the anus.The annulate lamellae consist of a stack of parallelly arranged membranes in the cytoplasm. In A. communis there is defonite continuity between the ends of two adjacent lamellae in the stack (Fig. 1). The number of cisternae comprising the organelle is much greater in A. vulgare than in A. communis. The pores or annulae are also much more numerous in A. vulgare (Fig. 2) than in A. communis.