Metamonada

Caduceia (cad-you-see-a) a devescovinid flagellate from the termite Cryptotermes. There is a microtubular axostyle extending the length of the body, but anteriorly it wraps around the nucleus. The globules around the nucleus are elements of the Golgi apparatus (dictyosomes). Finely granular region around the axostyle just posterior to the nucleus is the bacterial cup with large numbers of endosymbiotic bacteria. There is a small indentation just below the apex and to the upper left. This is the point of insertion of the flagella. Food vacuoles contain bacteria or small pieces of wood. Differential interference contrast.

Caduceia (cad-you-see-a) a devescovinid flagellate from the termite Cryptotermes with three free anterior flagella and a thick cord-like or ribbon-like recurrent flagellum. Three of the flagella can be seen extending to the right, and one lies adjacent to the left side of the body. Phase contrast.

Caduceia (cad-you-see-a) a devescovinid flagellate from the termite Cryptotermes. The anterior regions of two cells show the axostyles, the nucleus, bacterial cups - the finely granular regions posterior to the nucleus. The irregular region around the left hand nucleus is formed by the dictyosomes. Differential interference contrast.

Caduceia (cad-you-see-a) a devescovinid flagellate from the termite Cryptotermes. With three free anterior flagella and a thick cord-like or ribbon-like recurrent flagellum (not visible here). The recurrent flagellum adheres to the cell body along a variable length which is underlain by a cresta. There is no real undulating membrane. The body may be covered with short spirochaetes and short rod-like bacteria adhering in some areas. Axostyle fine, extending through body to project from the back of the cell. There is a microtubular axostyle extending the length of the body, but anteriorly it wraps around the nucleus. The front end of the cell can move freely, and for this reason Tamm called these organisms Rubberneckia, a term which has since become a verb to refer to motorway-accident-voyeurism. There is some sign of the dictyosomes around the nucleus, although are better illustrated in other micrographs. Phase contrast.

Caduceia (cad-you-see-a) a devescovinid flagellate from the termite Cryptotermes with three free anterior flagella and a thick cord-like or ribbon-like recurrent flagellum. This is the nucleus, flagellum, dictyosome and axostyle complex, sometimes called the karyomastigont, which has been extracted from cells. Phase contrast.

Coronympha (corr-o-nymph-a), a calonymphid flagellate which is a multinucleated trichomonad flagellate. All members of this group have multiple nuclei each with its own set of flagella. This genus has 8 or 16 karyomastigonts arranged in a single anterior circle. Each karyomastigont comprises three anterior flagella, a thick recurrent flagellum with an adherent proximal portion underlain by a cresta, an axostyle-pelta complex, and a drop-shaped parabasal close to the nucleus. The axostylar trunks are independent and only meet posteriorly, sometimes forming a caudal projection (see thumbnail). Phase contrast.

Coronympha (corr-o-nymph-a), a calonymphid flagellate which is a multinucleated trichomonad flagellate. All members of this group have multiple nuclei each with its own set of flagella. This genus has 8 or 16 karyomastigonts arranged in a single anterior circle. Each karyomastigont comprises three anterior flagella, a thick recurrent flagellum with an adherent proximal portion underlain by a cresta, an axostyle-pelta complex, and a drop-shaped parabasal close to the nucleus. The axostylar trunks are independent and only meet posteriorly, sometimes forming a caudal projection (see thumbnail). Four sets of flagella can be seen in this image, and a set seems to include 4 flagella (lower right). Phase contrast.

Coronympha (corr-o-nymph-a), a calonymphid flagellate which is a multinucleated trichomonad flagellate. All members of this group have multiple nuclei each with its own set of flagella. This genus has 8 or 16 karyomastigonts arranged in a single anterior circle. Each karyomastigont comprises three anterior flagella, a thick recurrent flagellum with an adherent proximal portion underlain by a cresta, an axostyle-pelta complex, and a drop-shaped parabasal close to the nucleus. The karyomastigonts have been stained in this fixed preparation

Metacoronympha (met-a-caw-row-nymph-a) one of the multinucleated trichomonad flagellates, always with many flagella. Flagella in small groups of 4, three extending outwards and one recurrent. The flagella are linked to nuclei which are arranged in a spiral around the anterior end of the cell. Axostyles are independent, but grouped at the posterior end. Parabasal bodies dot-shaped and located against the nuclei. Probably M. senta, from the termite Incisitermes (in America. Phase contrast.

Metacoronympha (met-a-caw-row-nymph-a) one of the multinucleated trichomonad flagellates, always with many flagella. Flagella in small groups of 4, three extending outwards and one recurrent. The flagella, as evident here, are linked to nuclei which are arranged in a spiral around the anterior end of the cell. as is evident from this image. Axostyles are independent, but grouped at the posterior end. Parabasal bodies dot-shaped and located against the nuclei. Probably M. senta, from the termite Incisitermes (in America. Phase contrast.

Metacoronympha (met-a-caw-row-nymph-a) one of the multinucleated trichomonad flagellates, always with many flagella. Flagella in small groups of 4, three extending outwards and one recurrent. The flagella are linked to nuclei which are arranged in a spiral around the anterior end of the cell as is evident from this image. Probably M. senta, from the termite Incisitermes. Phase contrast.

Metacoronympha (met-a-caw-row-nymph-a) one of the multinucleated trichomonad flagellates, always with many flagella. Flagella in small groups of 4, three extending outwards and one recurrent. The flagella are linked to nuclei (each blue dot is a nucleus) which are arranged in a spiral around the anterior end of the cell as is shown in this fluorescence image.

Stephanonympha from Neotermes a termite from New Caledonia. Dissociated karyomastigonts, flagella on the right, nuclei and axostyles on the left (immunofluorescence)