title: Ultrastructural observation on the rectal gills of Zygoptera larva.
abstract: The zygoptera larvae have tracheal gills. Both outer and inner epicuticles of damselfly larvae (Zygoptera) are pierced by pores of about 200...250 A thickness. The pores are distributed at a distance of about 500...600 A apart. Their endings are noticed upto the lower portion of exocuticle. The endocuticle is a big area in which the respiratory epithelium have flat apical and basal sides, plasma membrane is not folded. Glycogen granules are distributed in the cytoplasm and a few mitochondria are noticed. The tracheal brances and the cytoplasm of the respiratory epithelium come in contact with the epicuticle. The distribution of tracheoles, with surplus of tracheoles in a surface outside the hypodermis are close to the sub-cuticular area is found. The gills of Zygoptera appear to be merely respiratory organs having respiratory epithelium and the ions and water are resorbed from the modified rectal epithelium.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004848:Epithelium / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005880:Gills / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D007313:Insecta / Q000196:embryology*; D007814:Larva / Q000166:cytology; D012007:Rectum / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D014132:Trachea / Q000648:ultrastructure