Tribute to our predecessors
Enigmatic cell inclusions have been spotted by first biologists and pioneering microscopists – not been identified since then. Thus, this task waits for the new generation. “Crystalline inclusions” as well as “reddish globules” are nicely depicted in a variety of protists of this ancient educational artwork – providing its inspirational potential.
“Urthiere – Protozoa” by Rudolf Leuckart, the "father of parasitology" (1822–1898), Hinrich Nitsche (1845–1902), and marine biologist Carl Chun (1852–1914), published by Th. G. Fischer & Co (Kassel and Leipzig), printed by Hermann Richter & Co in Leipzig between 1877 and 1892.
The illustrations of crystalline inclusions morphology and chemical nature. A – Types of crystals found in various protozoa. 1–15 Paramecium multimicronucleatum; 16–18 Trichamoeba villosa and Chaos diffluens; 19–22 Halteria grandinella; 23 – Cochliopodium bilimbosum; 24–26 Mayorella sp.; 27–29 Chilomonas paramecium (Bernheimer 1938). B – Dinoflagellate Gymnodnium alaskensis n. sp. (1) ventral view of long form, showing chromatophores, nucleus, and anterior and longitudinal flagellum, (2) dorsal view of the short form (Bursa 1963). C – Phase contrast photomicrographs of ciliate Parauronema acutum with refractile bodies (Soldo et al. 1978). D – Transmission electron micrograph of dinoflagellate symbiont of Foraminifera showing holes after dropping off the crystalline inclusions in vacuoles as well as inside the accumulation body (A) – misinterpreted to be formed by calcium oxalate (Ca) (Leutenegger 1977). E – UV microscopy applying 260 nm excitation on yeast Candida utilis after 1-hour guanine incubation (Svihla et al. 1963).
