Luminescence and Associated Effector Activity in Pyrosoma (Tunicata: Pyrosomida)

The behaviour, histology, and ciliary and luminescent responses of Pyrosoma tetrazooids are described. Each zooid contains paired luminous organs made up of large cells packed with organelles that are concluded to be intracellular luminescent bacteria. Light emission can be evoked by photic or mecha...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences Biological sciences, 1978-09, Vol.202 (1149), p.483-495
Main Authors: Mackie, George Owen, Bone, Quentin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bacteria
Cilia
Electrodes
Epithelium
Light emission
Luminescence
Nerves
Organelles
Sphincters
Surgical suction
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Description
Summary:The behaviour, histology, and ciliary and luminescent responses of Pyrosoma tetrazooids are described. Each zooid contains paired luminous organs made up of large cells packed with organelles that are concluded to be intracellular luminescent bacteria. Light emission can be evoked by photic or mechanical stimuli, and is always preceded (with a latency of at least 600 ms) by arrests of the ciliary cells of the gill bars, and con­comitant ciliary arrest potentials. The gill bars are innervated by axons running under the ciliary cells; the luminous organs are not innervated. Ciliary arrests are evoked by photic stimuli and this appears to be the basis for transmission of light emission between zooids.
ISSN:0962-8452
0080-4649
1471-2954
2053-9193
DOI:10.1098/rspb.1978.0081