At cyst formation in the 'giant' unicellular green alga Acetabularia, each cyst contains a single nucleus which subsequently undergoes several rounds of mitosis prior to gamete formation. Initially the nuclei form a syncytium which separates into individual gametes. This section shows a stage in gametogenesis where the syncytium has just begun to divide into uninuclear gametes. See Woodcock and Miller, 1973. Ultrastructural features of the life cycle of Acetabularia I Gametogenesis. Proptoplasma 77, 313-319.
Biological Process: Gamete generation
Cysts were fixed in glutaraldehyde, post-fixed in osmium tetroxide, epoxy embedded, and thin sections stained with aqueous uranyl acetate and lead citrate. Grids were examined with a Philips 400 TEM operated at 80KV and images recorded on film.
Author: Gayle Miller
Source: The Cell: An Image Library
