This experiment was performed to study the structure and the histochemical properties on the mucosubstances of the foot in Saxidomus purpuratus and Meretrix lusoria. To observe the structure of foot, hematoxylin-eosin staining was used. The mucosubsta...
This experiment was performed to study the structure and the histochemical properties on the mucosubstances of the foot in Saxidomus purpuratus and Meretrix lusoria. To observe the structure of foot, hematoxylin-eosin staining was used. The mucosubstances were stained PAS, alcian blue pH 2.5, alcian blue pH 1.0, aldehyde fuchsin pH 1.7, aldehyde fuchsin pH 1.0, alcian blue pH 2.5,-PAS, alcian blue pH 1.0-PAS and aldehyde fuchsin pH 1.7-alcian blue pH 2.5 methods.
The foot of Saxidomus purpuratus and Meretrix lusoria was composed basically of three layers ; epithelium, subepithelial connective tissue and muscular layers. The foot of both species was lined by simple ciliated columnar epithelial cells, and foot glands consisted of multicellular mucous acini were present in the subepithelial connective tissue. Especially the foot glands of Saxidomus purpuratus were large spheroid in shape and were numerously distributed within connective tissue, but these glands of Meretrix lusoria were small spheroid in shape and were scattered.
The ducts of these glands extended within connective tissue and between epithelial cells, and open onto the surface of the foot. Especially the ducts of these glands of both regions developed in Saxidomus purpuratus than in Meretrix lusoria. Muscularis consisted of smooth muscle fibers. The muscle fibers were arranged as longitudinal, transverse and vertical layers.
Acidic strongly sulfomucins were present within cilia and cytoplasm of foot epithelium in both species, but these mucins were more abundant in Saxidomus purpuratus than in Meretrix lusoria.
The foot glands Saxidomus purpuratus were mixed two types of mucous acini along the affinity of two dyes, such as alcian blue and aldehyde fuchsin. Most mucous acini of these glands were stained with two dyes and were contained small to moderate amounts of strongly sulfomucins. While a few mucous acini of these glands were only stained with aldehyde fuchsin and contained small to moderate amounts of strongly sulfomucins.
The ducts of the foot glands contained only strongly sulfomucin and were present in greater amounts in Saxidomus purpuratus than in Meretrix lusoria.