IV. The oogenesis of the fowl ( gallus bankiva )

Abstract

In modern times few branches of cytology have received closer attention than has been devoted, by many observers, to the problems of oogenesis in animals. The time and labour expended in this field have furnished a rich harvest, contributing much to the better understanding of the structure and function of the various parts of the living cell, and supplying the solid foundations on which is built our knowledge of embryology. Almost every group of animals has been studied from this point of view, the vertebrates, however, receiving the most attention. The literature, on the oogenesis of birds alone, is considerable and in many ways unique, being crowned by the monumental work of Dr. Modeste Van Durme (25), entitled ‘Nouvelles Recherches sur la Vitellogenese des (Eufs d’Oiseaux aux Stades d’Accroissement, de Maturation, de Fecondation et du Debut de la Segmentation,’ published in 1914. It is remarkable, however, that none of the many workers on this subject, not even Van Durme herself, has described the Golgi apparatus in the avian oocyte. I started work on the oogenesis of the fowl ( Gallusba bankiva ) in the hope of being able to rectify this deficiency. I succeeded in demonstrating the Golgi apparatus, and at once perceived that its structure and behaviour in the bird studied were exceedingly complex, and in many ways unique. In April, 1924, I published a short preliminary account (2). In the present paper I am attempting to furnish a full account of my work on the Golgi apparatus in the oocytes of the fowl, and to treat of such other points of interest in connection with them as have arisen in the course of the investigations.