STUDIES ON THE FLAGELLA OF ALGAE. I. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON CHLAMYDOMONAS MOEWUSII GERLOFF

¹ Osborn Botanical Laboratory, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut

1. Cells of Chlamydomonas moewusii normally swim by a synchronized backward beat of the paired flagella.

2. When appressed to solid substrata, the flagella are capable of an independent creeping movement. This faculty does not persist in detached flagella.

3. During mating, cell clumps are formed by the adhesion of flagella of cells of opposite mating-types.

4. By means of the flagella, copulating cells can adjust their relative positions until cytogamy can be initiated.

5. Paired cells do not fuse for some hours, during which swimming results from the activity of one partner only.

6. By suitable labelling, it can be shown that the flagella of the plus partner remain active, while those of the minus cell cease to beat after pairing.

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