Ascaris lumbricoides suum: morphological characterization of apparent cuticular pores by ionic permeability and...

The cuticle of the parasitic roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides suum has been found to contain apparent pores, using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. However, X-ray spectral analysis and dot mapping analysis of diffusing divalent cations in the cuticle found these ions to be randomly distributed on the pseudocoelomic surface of the cuticle. This indicates that the pores seen with the electron microscope were not true structural pores and that the cuticle is homogeneously permeable to ions.