The ultrastructure of the protonephridial tubules of the freshwater planarian Bdellocephala brunnea.

A systematic electron microscopic investigation was undertaken to elucidate the regional differentiation of the protonephridial tubules of the freshwater planarian Bdellocephala brunnea. The excretory system consists of many independent protonephridia, each made up of the repeatedly branching "proximal tubules," and highly tortuous "distal tubule." The proximal tubules are composed of a simple ciliated epithelium except in the trunk which lacks ciliation. The cytoplasmic features of the ciliated cell closely resemble those of the flame cell, indicating highly active protein reabsorption by pinocytosis. Pinocytosis seems also active in the trunk of the proximal tubules and in the distal tubule, resulting in cytoplasmic vesicles of typical appearance. Salient features of the distal tubule cell are the increased density of the cytoplasmic matrix and the presence of many basal compartments of cytoplasm with mitochondria, a pattern common to many epithelia with osmoregulatory function. The morphology and possible functions of the planarian protonephridium are discussed in comparison with the vertebrate nephron.