Hello friends,

can someone please explain exactly what the difference is between an oocyte and ovarian follicle in apoikogenic scorpions. I was under the impression that they were the same (or the oocyte was contained inside the ovarian follicle), but i beleive i'm mistaken. Or some bootleg websites are just throwing me off.
Would it be correct to say that the ovarian follicle* is either directly attached to, or attached by a short pedical to the transverse/longitudinal ovarian tubles (ovariuterine walls)?
Is the ovariuteris considered just the rectangular network of ovarian tubles (ovaries & oviduct)?


thank you for your help and interest.

Zach

I beleive i may have awnsered some of my own questions here.
It looks like the oocyte is the un-fertilized egg, and the ovarian follicle is the
membrane housing the oocyte. I'm still confused on the makeup of the germinal epitheilium*.?

I believe Roger Farley has written updated material on the subject in 'Scorpion biology & research', the second publication following 'Scorpion Biology'. He has a great section on appendage growth and early development of embryos in the same book. A great article for those with interest.

Zach

Hmm...
Ovariuterus morphology must not be a popularly interesting
subject. None the less i keep awnsering my own questions, and then twenty more pop right up. Anyone know about sperm storage/sperm receptacles in apoikogenic reference? Self education isn't as easy as one may think.
Too bad i don't have a local Roger Farley.

Zach

Well, Zach, it's just that you keep answering your own questions!

But give me some time and I'll try to get in detail about it, if needed!

Hello,

yes i could use some help. I'm now confused about exactly how/where the follicle is placed within the ovariuterine tubules in S. mesaensis, because in the material given; the oocyte (ovarian follicle) seems to block the main lumen of the ovariuterine tubule. This is only known to my knowledge in the type of apoikogenic development in S. mesaensis, possibly other Vaejovidae. Resulting factor seems that a trophic cell mass(follicular placenta; evolved method of yolk/nutrient intake) mass runs along the tubules, instead of the typical polar region (discoblastula>?)
developing on a part of the already developed yolk. I believe Mr. Farley will be attending the next ATS conf., hope he has the patience to awnser some questions.

......if i only had more dissection opportunitys..oh yeah and a electron scanning mircoscope.