Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science, Vol s2-76, 379-431, Copyright © 1934 by Company of Biologists

Memoirs: On the Nature and Functions of the Amoebocytes of Ostrea edulis

¹ Tokyo University of Literature and Science, Japan

1. There are two kinds of corpuscles in the blood of the oyster; one consists of granular, the other of hyaline amoebocytes.

2. The granular amoebocytes are amoeboid, though the speed of their movement is slow.

3. The granules are yellow or yellowish green in the fresh condition.

4. The granules are neutrophil with a tendency to become stained by the basic dyes intra vitam.

5. Granules can never be distinguished in fixed and stained amoebocytes.

6. The amoebocytes are distributed everywhere throughout the body, an especially large number being normally present around the gut.

7. The so-called ‘pseudopodia’ of the amoebocytes are described and their nature discussed.

8. The effects of several kinds of reagents on amoeboid movement and on the amoebocytes are described.

9. The amoebocytes become entangled with one another by bristle-like ‘pseudopodia’, or by elongated strands of hyaline ectoplasm outside the body. There is no true coagulation of the blood, and no fibrin production.

10. The mechanism of phagocytosis is described and discussed.

11. Sucroclastic, lipoclastic, and proteoclastic enzymes are present in the amoebocytes and enable the amoebocytes to digest intracelluarly.

12. The optimum action of the amylase is about pH 7.0 and of the proteoclastic enzymes about pH 8.0. These optima are not very well marked.

13. A complete oxidase system is present, revealed by the indophenol reaction, by the power of reducing indigo carmine, a process which is irreversible, and by a slight reaction with guaiacum.

14. The amoebocytes can absorb glucose both in the gut and the mantle cavity.

15. There is no evidence of absorption of soluble matter nor of solid substances by the epithelium of the mantle cavity, e.g. gills, labial palps, &c, other than by the agency of amoebocytes.

16. The amoebocytes play a prominent part in excretion. They reject directly foreign or indigestible matter by way of the epithelium of the excretory organ, pericardium, surface of the auricle, rectum, and mantle cavity.