Ultrastructure of the Eyespot and its Possible Significance in Phototaxis of Tetracystis excentrica*†

SYNOPSIS. The eyespot of the zoospore of Tetracystis excentrica (a green alga) has been studied by light and electron microscopy. In Tetracystis the eyespot consists of about 110 osmiophilic granules which form a plate in the anterior third of the cell. The granules are about 80 Å in diameter and are found in the outermost portion of the chloroplast; they commonly show hexagonal close packing and a hexagonal shape. The granules are confined positionally by the chloroplast envelope and an inner thylakoid. The plasmalemma over the eyespot is thickened and is separated from the chloroplast envelope by a 50 mμ space. The eyespot of Tetracystis is compared with others reported in the literature and the possible functional significance of these studies is discussed. The possibility that the eyespot plate in Tetracystis serves as a shading device rather than the primary photoreceptor is considered.