Cytological studies of the Chilomastix (protozoa, flagellata) of man and other mammals

Abstract

AbstractAccounts of binary fission for two species of Chilomastix by Bélar ('21) and Boeck and Tanable ('26) differ. Consequently, investigations were initiated to study the cytology and to determine the nature of binary filssion in Chilomastix mesnili of man, Chilomastix mesnili (?) of anthropoid apes and monkeys, and Chilomastix intestinalis of guinea pigs.The material used for the study included the following: four heavily infected human cases of Chilomastix mesnili, twenty‐one infections of Chilomastix mesnili (?) from a survey of thirty‐six anthropoid apes and monkeys at the Philadelphia Zoölogical Gardens, and Chilomastix intestinalis from six guinea pigs.The results of the investigations indicate that binary fission of the above three species of Chilomastix are similar in essential details. Encystment is described for the species from man and from anthropoid apes and monkeys. No evidence for mitosis within the cysts was obtained for C. mesnili of man. In C. mesnili (?) from primates other than man, the appearance of cyst nuclei resembling mitotic processes is explained as variations occurring in nuclei. Binucleate cysts are believed to be formed by the encystment of abnormal binucleate individuals which never had undergone plasmotomy after division of the nuclei.