A Cytochemical Study on Polysaccharides in Cells of Micrasterias americana

Abstract

Structures containing polysaccharide in cells of Micrasterias americana were studied cytochemically with silver-hexamine solution. Polysaccharides, such as starch, cell wall and slime, produced electron dense precipitates with silver-hexamine. Three different types of vesicles also produced precipitates on treatment with the solution, and so seemed to contain polysaccharide. Large vesicles shaped like a fibril-ball appeared to release their fibrous inclusions into spaces between the plasma membrane and the cell wall. The two other types of vesicles, one very electron dense and the other moderately dense, seemed to migrate from the cytoplasm through the plasma membrane to the cell wall, and to contribute to development of the cell wall.