A partially filled contractile vacuole is connected to two regions of spongiome tubules. The extra CV membrane is acquired from these spongiomes. Presumably some of these spongiome tubules are decorat...

High resolution image of the collecting canal of the contractile vacuole complex. Normally the collecting canal is expanded when the CV is in systole. In this micrograph the collecting canal is empty ...

The contractile vacuole pore is encircled on its cytosolic surface with microtubules. Other microtubules arise from these encircling microtubules and extend far out into the cell where they provide st...

High resolution image of quick-freeze deep-etch view of a radial arm showing a collecting canal surrounded with smooth spongiome as well as a few decorated tubules. However several larger vesicles lie...

The decorated spongiome of the CVC is composed of 50nm tubules that have a pattern of helically wound subunits attached to their cytosolic surfaces. These tubules can be up to one micrometer or more i...

Some tubules near a contractile vacuole which appear to be decorated with pegs similar to the spongiome of the CV of Paramecium. In Paramecium these pegs are known to be V-type proton pumps (V-ATPases...

Phase contrast movie demonstrating how paramecia contractile vacuoles regulate water pressure within the protozoan's body. Water enters through the cell wall by osmosis and then passes through the cyt...

A high resolution view of the radial arm of the Contractile Vacuole Complex or CVC each contain a collecting canal enclosed by a microtubular ribbon split lengthwise into several smaller ribbons, a me...

High resolution electron micrograph of a thin frozen section treated with a clone of the mAb (D40-2) used to show the A4 antigen on decorated tubules. The immunogold lies along the outer margin of the...

Paramecium multimicronucleatum - Video of the Contractile Vacuole Complex. In vivo CVC filling/expulsion cycles. A CV in a compressed cell is observed in side view undergoing cycles of filling (diasto...