Study of Naegleria aerobia by electron microscopy

Abstract

Ultrastructural differences in N. aerobic grown in culture and from infected mouse brain have been studied. 1. 1. The amoebae in culture were more irregular in outline. The cytoplasm contained dark stained mitochondria and free-ribosomes along with other cytoplasmic organelles. The cytoplasm of some of the amoebae contained membrane bound black bodies. 2. 2. The cytoplasm of the amoebae in brain tissue contained predominantly lightly stained mitochondria, polydribosomes and lightly stained membrane bound reserve food vacuoles. 3. 3. The clear space around the amoebae in the host tissues and the myelinated structure in the food vacuoles suggest both extracellular digestion and phagocytic activity of the pathogen respectively.