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Occasionally mitochondria of Paramecium become filled with
cristae that display a wavy or helical pattern. In thin sections these
cristae are viewed as curved arcs as well as cross sectioned rows in
different parts of the organelle. Stacks of decorated tubules
(ds) of the contractile vacuole system are also seen in this
micrograph. Cristae of mitochondria bear F1F0
ATP synthases while the decorated tubules bear the related
V1V0 V-ATPase proton pump. The helical arrayed
F1F0 and V1V0 units may be
responsible for forming the tubular nature of the cristae and the
tubular decorated spongiome (for discussion of this hypothesis see
Allen, Protoplasma 189:1-8, 1995). EM taken on 5/6/82 by R. Allen with
Hitachi HU11A TEM. Neg. 14,250X. Bar = 0.5µm.
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