Cytological examination of reduction bodies of Corvomeyenia carolinensis Harrison (porifera: spongillidae).

Freshwater sponges, Corvomeyenia carolinensis Harrison, were placed into tap water to induce degenerative reduction body formation. Reduction bodies were examined using light and electron microscopy in order to define their histochemical and ultrastructural characteristics. The reduction body of freshwater sponges is an extremely simple developmental system consisting primarily of an archeocyte reserve delimited by a simple squamous pinacoderm. The freshwater sponge reduction body displays many similarities to overwintering phases of marine sponges. The system presents an unusually straightforward vehicle for investigations of degeneration and regeneration as processes in developmental biology and may represent a reasonable vehicle in which to examine the process of the genesis of lysosomes.