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The buccal cavity opens into the developing digestive (food) vacuole
at the terminal edges of the alveolar sacs (al) that cover the
buccal cavity. A plane connecting these edges would roughly describe a
tear drop-shaped opening that has been called the cytostome or cell
mouth. The cytopharynx (cp) just beyond the buccal cavity
encircles the cytostome. The cytopharynx consists of two sides, the
left side (shown here) from which 40 or more ribbons of cytopharyngeal
microtubules curve over a cytostomal cord. This edge runs along the
dorsal side of the quadrulus and borders the terminal margins of the
alveolar sacs. Discoidal vesicles (disc) are transported along
the microtubular ribbons to the left edge of the cytopharynx.
ac, acidosomes. EM taken on 3/25/81 by R. Allen with Hitachi
HU11A TEM. Neg. 5,000X. Bar = 1µm
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