The works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume 1 (of 4) : $b Separate memoirsBalfour, Francis M. (Francis Maitland)
Science
The works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume 1 (of 4) : $b Separate memoirs
Balfour, Francis M. (Francis Maitland)
Embryology; Zoology
Dog-fish resemble Osseous fish in the fact that their embryos are entirely
formed from a portion of the germ which does not form part of the roof of
the segmentation cavity, so that the cells forming the roof of the
segmentation cavity take _no share_ at any time in the formation of their
embryos. They further agree with Osseous fish (always supposing that the
descriptions of Oellacher, _loc. cit._, and Götte, _Archiv. für Micr.
Anat._ Bd. IX. are correct) in the floor of the segmentation cavity being
formed at one period by yolk. Together with these points of similarity
there are some important differences.
(1) The segmentation cavity in the Osseous fish from the first arises as a
cavity between the yolk and the blastoderm, and its floor is never at any
period covered with cells. In the Dog-fish, as we have said above, both in
the earlier and later periods the floor is covered with cells.
(2) The roof in the Dog-fish is _invariably_ formed by the epiblast and a
row of flattened lower layer cells.
According to both Götte and Oellacher the roof of the segmentation cavity
in Osseous fishes is in the earlier stages formed _alone_ of the two layers
which correspond with the single layer forming the epiblast in the
Dog-fish. In Osseous fishes it is very difficult to distinguish the various
layers, owing to the similarity of their component cells. In Dog-fish this
is very easy, owing to the great distinctness of the epiblast, and it
appears to me, on this account, very probable that the two above-named
observers may be in error as to the constitution of its roof in the Osseous
fish. With both the Bird and the Frog the segmentation cavity of the
Dog-fish has some points of agreement, and some points of difference, but
it would take me too far from my present subject to discuss them.
When the segmentation cavity is first formed, no great changes have taken
place in the cells forming the blastoderm. The upper layer--the
_epiblast_--is composed of a single layer of columnar cells, and the
remainder of the cells of blastoderm, forming the lower layer, are of a
fairly uniform size, and polygonal from mutual pressure. The whole edge of
the blastoderm is thickened, but this thickening is especially marked at
its embryonic end.
This thickened edge of the blastoderm is still more conspicuous in the next
and second stage (Pl. 3, fig. 3).
In the second stage the chief points of progress, in addition to the
increased thickness of the edge of the blastoderm, are--
(1) The increased thickness and distinctness of the epiblast, caused by its
cells becoming more columnar, though it remains as a one-cell-thick layer.
(2) The disappearance of the cells from the floor of the segmentation
cavity.
The lower layer cells have undergone no important changes, and the
blastoderm has increased very little if at all in size.
From Pl. 3, fig. 3, it is seen that there is a far larger collection of
cells at the embryonic than at the opposite end.
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