A cytological study of the ovary of Rhodnius prolixus. III. Cytoarchitecture and development of the trophic chamber

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Abstract
The tropharium of the telotrophic ovarioles of Rhodnius is syncytial with the nurse cell nuclei located in tortuous finger‐like projections arborizing from a common cytoplasmic area, the trophic core. The nurse cell nuclei exhibit prominent nucleoli. Located adjacent to the nuclear envelope are masses of granular material both within the nucleus and adjoining cytoplasm. The cytoplasm consists primarily of ribosomes and mitochondria. The trophic core and the trophic cords that connect the core to individual oocytes characteristically possess parallel arrays of microtubules with ribosomes and mitochondria interspersed between. Surrounding the nurse tissue (germarium) is a thin layer of squamous cells comprising the inner sheath. The inner sheath is encompassed by the non‐cellular tunica propria superficial to which are two external cellular sheaths.The syncytial nature of the tropharium appears to arise as a result of the fusion of many entangled nurse cell‐oocyte complexes during the late fifth instar. The structural similarities, and possible homologies with the polytrophic type of ovariole is discussed.