More than a century ago, the simplest of all metazoans was discovered and described as Trichoplax adhaerens [1]. These tiny, flattened animals lack symmetry, mouth, gut, nervous system, and extra-cellular matrix and constitute the apparently monotypic phylum Placozoa. Placozoans diverged early in metazoan history [2–7], making them important organisms for evolutionary research [2,3,8]. Placozoa...

OBJECTIVE To assess the comparability of hemoglobin concentration (Hb) in venous and capillary blood measured by Hemocue and an automated spectrophotometer (Celldyn) and to document the influence of type of blood (capillary or venous) and analysis method on anemia prevalence estimates. MATERIAL AND METHODS Between February and May 2000, capillary and venous samples were collected from 72 adul...

The current study estimated the antioxidant activity and biochemical composition of four seaweeds; Toania atomaria (Phaeophyta), Padina pavonia Jania rubens (Rhodophyta) Corallina elongate (Rhodophyta). highest total was observed with ethanol extract T. (44.6 ± 1.6 mg ascorbic acid equivalents/g crude extract). Among seaweeds, has recorded value in ferric reducing power (FRAP) assay (32.3 0.0 u...

The evolution of ANTP genes in the Metazoa has been the subject of conflicting hypotheses derived from full or partial gene sequences and genomic organization in higher animals. Whole genome sequences have recently filled in some crucial gaps for the basal metazoan phyla Cnidaria and Porifera. Here we analyze the complete genome of Trichoplax adhaerens, representing the basal metazoan phylum Pl...

Whole-genome sequences from the choanoflagellate Monosiga brevicollis, the placozoan Trichoplax adhaerens and the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis have confirmed results from comparative evolutionary developmental studies that much of the developmental toolkit once thought to be characteristic of bilaterians appeared much earlier in the evolution of animals. The diversity of transcription facto...

The fine structure of the transitional epithelium of rat ureter has been studied in thin sections with the electron microscope, including some stained cytochemically to show nucleoside triphosphatase activity. The epithelium is three to four cells deep with cuboidal or columnar basal cells, intermediate cells, and superficial squamous cells. The basal cells are attached by half desmosomes, or a...