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The number and size of ovarian balls of Moniliformis (Acanthocephala) from laboratory rats

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

D. W. T. Crompton
Affiliation:
The Molteno Institute, University of Cambridge
Susan Arnold
Affiliation:
The Molteno Institute, University of Cambridge
D. E. Walters
Affiliation:
A.R.C. Statistics Group, Department of Applied Biology, University of Cambridge

Summary

By means of conventional light microscopical and counting procedures, estimations have been made of the average number and size of ovarian balls from unfertilized and fertilized female Moniliformis dubius. The observations were made on worms recovered from experimental primary infections lasting 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17 and 20 weeks in male rats. The number of ovarian balls rises to about 6300 per worm, with the maximum being attained more rapidly in unfertilized than in fertilized females. On average more ovarian balls were present in unfertilized than in fertilized females, but a marked decline in number occurred in both groups of worms towards the end of the experimental period. Similarly, on the basis of the area within the elliptical profiles of fixed ovarian balls, it appeared that those from unfertilized females were generally larger on average than those from fertilized worms.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1976

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References

Crompton, D. W. T. (1974). Experiments on insemination in Moniliformis dubius (Acanthocephala). Parasitology 68, 229–38.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
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