title: Toxocara canis (Nematoda:Ascaridae): the fine structure of the oviduct, oviduct-uterine junction and uterus.
abstract: The fine structure of the oviduct, oviduct-uterine junction and uterus of the nematode Toxocara canis (Werner, 1782) is described. Columnar-type epithelioid cells with numerous microvilli at the apical membrane border the oviduct lumen. Many electron dense secretory products are present in these cells. The cells lining the oviduct-uterine junction have no microvilli. They are coated with an electron-dense layer and contain numerous membrane-bound dense material containing bodies. Externally, the cells are surrounded by a basal lamina and muscle cells. The epithelial cells lining the greater part of the paired uteri appear to be rather flat. The oocytes inside the oviduct are covered with a dense thick plasma membrane and contain lipid droplets, dense granules and glycogen. The morphology of the oocytes before the fertilization inside the oviduct-uterine junction resembles that of the oocyte in the oviduct. After the fertilization the egg shell formation takes place. The egg shell of T.canis is composed of four layers: uterine, vitelline, middle chitinous and inner layer. The differences between the fine structure of the egg shell of T. canis and other related nematodes are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Parasitological Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Kosice, Slovak Republic. brunan@linux 1.saske.sk
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brunanská
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005836:Genitalia, Female / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010057:Oviducts / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017166:Toxocara canis / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D014599:Uterus / Q000648:ultrastructure