Report on the Radiolaria Collected by H.M.S. Challenger During the Years 1873-1876, First Part: Porulosa (Spumellaria and Acantharia): Report on the Scientific Results of the Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger During the Years 1873-76, Vol. XVIIIHaeckel, Ernst
Science
Report on the Radiolaria Collected by H.M.S. Challenger During the Years 1873-1876, First Part: Porulosa (Spumellaria and Acantharia): Report on the Scientific Results of the Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger During the Years 1873-76, Vol. XVIII
Haeckel, Ernst
Radiolaria
11. _Individuality of the Radiolaria._--Like other Protozoa the Radiolaria
are unicellular organisms, the whole fully developed organisation of which
falls under the category of a single cell, both morphologically and
physiologically. Since this view is based upon the composition of the
individual body out of two different morphological elements, nucleus and
protoplasm, it is at once justified in the case of the majority of
Radiolaria, in which the plasmatic body encloses only a single nucleus (the
so-called "Binnen-Bläschen"); such is the case in all the SPUMELLARIA
monozoa, NASSELLARIA and PHÆODARIA. This aspect of the case might appear
doubtful in those Radiolaria in which the simple primary cell-nucleus
divides early into numerous small secondary nuclei, as is the case in the
SPUMELLARIA polyzoa and most ACANTHARIA. Strictly speaking, the
multinucleate central capsule should in such cases be regarded as a
syncytium; but since the individual unity of the unicellular organism is as
clearly defined in these precocious multinuclear Radiolaria as in the
ordinary serotinous forms, the former must be considered unicellular
Rhizopods just as are the latter. This mode of regarding {vi}the case is
the more necessary, inasmuch as the early division of the nucleus has no
further influence upon the organisation. Just as in many other classes of
the Protista there are monozootic (solitary) and polyzootic (social) forms,
so also in the Radiolaria there are in addition to the ordinary monozootic
or monobious forms certain families in which colonies or coenobia are
formed by the association of individuals; this distinction may be expressed
by the terms "Monocyttaria" and "Polycyttaria."
The unicellular nature of the Radiolaria was first established by Richard
Hertwig in 1879 (L. N. 33),[1] and brought into conformity with our
present histiological knowledge and the new reform of the cell-theory.
Huxley, however, who was in 1851 the first to examine living Radiolaria
accurately, declared _Thalassicolla nucleata_ to be a unicellular
Protozoon, and the individual central capsules of _Sphærozoum punctatum_
to be cells, but, owing to the then condition of the cell-theory, he was
unable to give a conclusive demonstration of this view. Later, when
Johannes Müller in 1858 and myself in 1862 recognised the peculiar
"yellow cells" which occur in large numbers in many Radiolaria as true
nucleated cells, it appeared impossible any longer to maintain the
unicellular nature of the Radiolaria; also the great complication which I
showed to exist in the structure of _Thalassicolla_ appeared to
contradict it. Only after Cienkowski (1871) and Brandt (1881) had shown
that the "yellow cells" do not belong to the Radiolarian organism, but
are symbiotic unicellular algæ, was it possible to revive and demonstrate
anew the unicellular nature of the Radiolaria.
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