Localization of mineral ash in the organelles and cytoplasmic components of paramecium

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Abstract
Paramecium caudatum was studied by micro‐incineration, by stained control sections, by vital staining, and by osmic impregnation. It was found that a slow initial heating and a slow cooling after incineration greatly reduce the amount of distortion and shrinkage in the incinerated specimens. Most of the cytoplasmic components and organelles, including vacuome, chondriome, cilia, and basal granules, trichocysts, food vacuoles, and the nuclei, could be identified by their ash. No ash is found in the pellicle and only a small amount in the hyaloplasm. None of the osmiophilic components such as granules or the walls of the contractile vacuole could be identified in the incinerated specimens with certainty. The larger amount of ash in the endoplasm as compared with the ectoplasm is due to the large number of granules in the former region. The nucleus and some of the granules near the nucleus show traces of iron.