portrait

Description:

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.