Skip to main content
Fig. 2 | Cilia

Fig. 2

From: Paramecium tetraurelia basal body structure

Fig. 2

Organization of the cell surface at the ultrastructural level; tangential section of a detergent-extracted Paramecium cell fixed in the presence of tannic acid (modified from 12). Bar 200 μm. Insets: ×2. The arrows point towards the anterior of the basal body rows. Basal bodies are transversally cut at the level of the cartwheel (right inset) or at the level of the transition zone (Tz) (left inset). At their base, paired basal bodies are connected together by a complex set of links (insets). The post-ciliary rootlet (Pc) originates close to the triplet 9 (according to the Grain’s triplet numbering in Ciliata [25]), the transverse anterior (Ta) and posterior (Tp) rootlets close to the triplets 3 and 4, and the striated rootlet (Sr) is connected to the triplets 6 and 7. These three rootlets, associated with each basal body pairs, extend from the basal body bases towards the cell surface where they connect the epiplasm (Ep). The anterior basal body is connected in its proximal part to the striated rootlet (insets). At the proximal level, the Pc rootlet is connected to the ciliary rootlet by a set of links (insets). At the Tz level, links are detected in association with each microtubule doublets. Tubules A, B and C composing the basal body wall are indicated on the right inset

Back to article page