Cortical morphogenesis and conjugation process in Caenomorpha medusula (Ciliophora, Heterotrichida)

The new oral infraciliature comes from the posterior longitudinal proliferation of numerous somatic kineties of the parental perizonal zone during the bipartition of Caenomorpha medusula. The new perizonal zone of the opisthe originates from proliferation of the anterior extremes of all the somatic kineties that make up the parental perizonal zone. The proter retains both, the oral infraciliature and the perizonal zone of the parental cell. Conjugation in C. medusula presents three maturation divisions and three postzygotic divisions. During conjugation the oral infraciliature of each conjugant degenerates to be replaced by a new one.