Posterior Portions (posterior + portion)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Conservation and variation in Ubx expression among chelicerates

EVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 6 2001
Aleksandar Popadi
SUMMARY Chelicerates are an ancient arthropod group with a distinct body plan composed of an anterior (prosoma) and a posterior portion (opisthosoma). The expression of the Hox gene Ultrabithorax (Ubx) has been examined in a single representative of the chelicerates, the spider Cupiennius salei. In spiders, Ubx expression starts in the second opisthosomal segment (O2). Because the first opisthosomal segment (O1) in spiders is greatly reduced relative to other chelicerates, we hypothesized that the observed Ubx expression pattern might be secondarily modified. Shifts in the anterior boundary of the expression of Ubx have been correlated with functional shifts in morphology within malacostracan crustaceans. Thus, the boundary of Ubx expression between chelicerates with different morphologies in their anterior opisthosoma could also be variable. To test this prediction, we examined the expression patterns of Ubx and abdominal-A (collectively referred to as UbdA) in two basal chelicerate lineages, scorpions and xiphosurans (horseshoe crabs), which exhibit variation in the morphology of their anterior opisthosoma. In the scorpion Paruroctonus mesaensis, the anterior border of early expression of UbdA is in a few cells in the medial, posterior region of the O2 segment, with a predominant expression in O3 and posterior. Expression later spreads to encompass the whole O2 segment and a ventral, posterior portion of the O1 segment. In the xiphosuran Limulus polyphemus, early expression of UbdA has an anterior boundary in the segment. Later in development, the anterior boundary moves forward one segment to the chilarial (O1) segment. Thus, the earliest expression boundary of UbdA lies within the second opisthosomal segment in all the chelicerates examined. These results suggest that rather than being derived, the spider UbdA expression in O2 likely reflects the ancestral expression boundary. Changes in the morphology of the first opisthosomal segment are either not associated with changes in UbdA expression or correlate with late developmental changes in UbdA expression. [source]


Morphology and ultrastructure of the malpighian tubules of the Chilean common tarantula (Araneae: Theraphosidae)

JOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY, Issue 1 2002
S. Renee Hazelton
Abstract Relatively little is known about the morphology and ultrastructure of the Malpighian tubules of spiders (Arachnida: Araneae). Our study represents the first investigation of the Malpighian tubules of a theraphosid spider and is the only study to examine the living Malpighian tubules using confocal laser scanning microscopy. In theraphosid spiders, the Malpighian tubules originate from the stercoral pocket in the posterior portion of the opisthosoma and extend forward toward the prosoma in a dendritic pattern. There are three distinct segments (initial, main, and terminal), all dark brown in appearance. Each segment has distinctive ultrastructural features. Both the terminal and the main segment appear to be composed of at least two cell types with finger-like cytoplasmic protrusions associated with one of these types. The terminal segment, which is most proximal to the stercoral pocket, is the largest in diameter. It is composed of large, cuboidal cells containing many mitochondria and lipid inclusions. The main segment is intermediate in diameter with many mitochondria and secretory vesicles present. The initial segment is relatively thin in comparison to the other segments and is intimately associated with the digestive gland. The cells of the initial segment contain very little cytoplasm, fewer mitochondria, secretory vesicles, and prominent inclusions. J. Morphol. 251:73,82, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Development of the endoderm and gut in medaka, Oryzias latipes

DEVELOPMENT GROWTH & DIFFERENTIATION, Issue 5 2006
Daisuke Kobayashi
We performed an extensive analysis of endodermal development and gut tube morphogenesis in the medaka embryo by histology and in situ hybridization. The markers used in these analyses included sox17, sox32, foxA2, gata-4, -5, -6 and shh. sox17, sox32, foxA2, and gata-5 and -6 are expressed in the early endoderm to the onset of gut tube formation. Sections of medaka embryos hybridized with foxA2, a pan-endodermal marker during gut morphogenesis, demonstrated that gut tube formation is initiated in the anterior portion and that the anterior and mid/posterior gut undergo distinct morphogenetic processes. Tube formation in the anterior endoderm that is fated to the pharynx and esophagus is much delayed and appears to be independent of gut morphogenesis. The overall aspects of medaka gut development are similar to those of zebrafish, except that zebrafish tube formation initiates at both the anterior and posterior portions. Our results therefore describe both molecular and morphological aspects of medaka digestive system development that will be necessary for the characterization of medaka mutants. [source]


Measurement of lesion area and volume by three-dimensional spoiled gradient-echo MR imaging in osteonecrosis of the femoral head

JOURNAL OF ORTHOPAEDIC RESEARCH, Issue 5 2003
Yuki Kishida
Abstract The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate the diagnostic ability of three-dimensional spoiled gradient-echo (3D SPGR) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in cases of osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH), and to determine the accuracy of 3D SPGR imaging in area and volume measurement of ONFH. T1-weighted spin-echo (SE) and 3D SPGR imaging were performed on 20 femoral heads obtained from patients with ONFH. After MR imaging, the femoral heads were cut parallel to the imaging plane and were evaluated histologically. Areas and volumes of necrotic lesions were measured with a computer program and the deviation between MR images and anatomical measurements was evaluated. A low signal intensity band on 3D SPGR MR images was observed in all femoral heads and corresponded histologically to repaired marrow with viable fibrous mesenchymal tissue. The area proximate to the low band area coincided with the necrotic region. Both area and volume measurements by T1-weighted SE and 3D SPGR images showed a strong correlation to histological measurements. The discrepancies between histological and imaging results were minimal in 3D SPGR imaging, especially at the anterior and posterior portions of the femoral head. Three-dimensional SPGR imaging provides more accurate measurements of the area and volume of a necrotic lesion than T1-weighted SE imaging. © 2003 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. [source]


Variability of limb muscle size in young men

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2010
Taku Wakahara
The purpose of this study was to determine the interindividual variability of the upper and lower limb muscle size in young men. Subjects were 655 Japanese men aged 18,39 years. They were sedentary and mildly to highly active individuals, including college athletes of various sports. Muscle thicknesses at each of the anterior and posterior portions of the upper arm, thigh, and lower leg were measured using B-mode ultrasonography. Interindividual variability of muscle thickness was evaluated by coefficients of variation (CVs). The CVs of muscle thicknesses were found to be in the order of upper arm posterior (17.7%), thigh anterior (14.8%), thigh posterior (12.6%), upper arm anterior (12.2%), lower leg anterior (9.8%), and lower leg posterior (9.4%). The CVs were significantly different between each pair of measurement sites except for those of upper arm anterior-thigh posterior and lower leg anterior-posterior. These differences remain significant even when the muscle thicknesses were normalized to the segment length. The observed differences in the size variability can be interpreted as muscle-related differences in hypertrophic responsiveness to resistance training. The muscle-dependent size variability may be related to the differences in the fiber-type composition and/or muscle usage in daily life among examined muscle groups. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]