The works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume 2 (of 4) : $b A treatise on comparative embryology: InvertebrataBalfour, Francis M. (Francis Maitland)
Science
The works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume 2 (of 4) : $b A treatise on comparative embryology: Invertebrata
Balfour, Francis M. (Francis Maitland)
Embryology; Zoology
(1) The various distinct muscular layers.
(2) The gelatinous tissue of the Medusæ and Ctenophora.
(3) The skeletogenous tissue of the Actinozoa.
In most cases the muscular fibres are connected with epithelial cells,
but in certain forms amongst the Medusæ and in the majority if not all
the Actinozoa they constitute a distinct layer, sometimes separated
from the epiblast by a structureless membrane, _Æquorea
Mitrocoma_. Such layers when on the outer side of the membrane
separating epiblast and hypoblast are undoubtedly epiblastic in
origin, but in some cases amongst the Actinozoa they adjoin the
hypoblast, and are very probably derived from this layer.
The origin of the gelatinous tissue is still involved in much
obscurity.
It originates as a homogeneous layer between epiblast and hypoblast,
which in the Hydromedusæ never becomes cellular though traversed by
elastic fibres.
In the Acraspeda it contains anastomosing cells in the main apparently
(Claus) derived from the hypoblast, and in the Ctenophora it is richly
supplied with muscular stellate cells for the most part of epiblastic
origin, though some are stated by Chun to come from the hypoblast. On
the whole it seems probable, that the gelatinous tissue may be
regarded as a product _of both layers_; and there are some grounds for
thinking that it is an immense development of the membrane always
interposed between the two primary layers. It must however be borne in
mind that a membrane, regarded by the Hertwigs as the equivalent of
the ordinary membrane between the epiblast and hypoblast, can be
usually demonstrated on both surfaces of the gelatinous tissues in
Medusæ. The skeletogenous layer of the Actinozoa is probably the
morphological homologue of the gelatinous tissue; but the evidence we
have is on the whole in favour of the connective-tissue cells it
contains being epiblastic in origin. It gives rise to the skeleton of
the Hexacoralla, to the spicular skeleton of Alcyonium, the axial
skeleton of Corallium, and the skeleton of the Helioporidæ and
Tubiporidæ.
_Alternations of generations._
Alternation of generations is of common occurrence amongst the
Hydrozoa, and something analogous to it has been found to take place
in Fungia amongst the Actinozoa. It is not known to occur in the
Ctenophora.
The chief interest of its occurrence amongst the Hydromedusæ and
Siphonophora is the fact that its origin can be traced to a division
of labour in the colonial systems of zooids so characteristic of these
types.
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