Razumova I V
Parazitologiia. 1980 Sep-Oct;14(5):369-75.
As hystological studies of hungry image of Dermacentor pictus Herm. have shown changes in the cellular structure of the midgut epithelium and the decrease in its height (about 3 times) can serve as indicators of physiological age of the ticks. The structure transformation manifests itself in regular changes of the cells content of the midgut epithelium and numerical ratio between midgut cells of various types of different age. In new-born and young individuals digestive cells with haemoglobin dominate, new-born ticks are characterized as well by brown digestive cells. Epithelium of adult ticks consists of secretory and reserve cells, that of old individuals-mainly of reserve cells, specialized in accumulation of hematin, and rare secretory ones. Digestive and secretory cells are regarded as morphologically differing consequitive stages of the development of one kind of cells while secretory cells are considered to be their mature stage ready for feeding of an individual. It is assumed that in hungry ticks there are periods of more and less rediness for feeding while in adult ticks the best rediness for feeding is obseved. Maximum development of secretory cells in midgut epithelium is the main indicator of mature age (IIIrd physiological) of hungry ticks.
对草原革蜱饥饿状态的组织学研究表明，中肠上皮细胞结构的变化以及其高度的降低（约3倍）可作为蜱虫生理年龄的指标。结构转变表现为中肠上皮细胞内容物的规律性变化以及不同年龄各种类型中肠细胞之间的数量比例。在新生和年轻个体中，以含血红蛋白的消化细胞为主，新生蜱虫还具有棕色消化细胞的特征。成年蜱虫的上皮由分泌细胞和储备细胞组成，老年个体的上皮主要由专门积累血晶素的储备细胞和稀少的分泌细胞组成。消化细胞和分泌细胞被视为一种细胞发育的形态不同的连续阶段，而分泌细胞被认为是其准备好为个体提供营养的成熟阶段。据推测，饥饿的蜱虫存在进食准备程度或多或少的时期，而在成年蜱虫中观察到最佳进食准备状态。中肠上皮分泌细胞的最大发育是饥饿蜱虫成熟年龄（第三生理阶段）的主要指标。
