The Geometry of Triplets in Ciliary Basal Bodies from Primate Oviducts

Anderson (3) has recently developed a pleasing reconstruction of the basal body from primate oviducts. A reexamination of some of the details, however, suggests a few modifications . The present writer finds the following four points open to doubt: (a) the tubules constituting the nine triplets are helical in a left-handed sense ; (b) the tubules make an angle of 10 °-15° with the axis of the basal body; (c) each triplet twists towards the lumen of the basal body about the axis of the A (inner) tubule of the triplet as one passes from the proximal to the distal end ; (d) the external diameter of the basal body decreases from the proximal to the distal end by the amount indicated by Anderson's theoretical formulation (Fig. 17 of reference 3) . Each of these points is discussed in turn below . Other points are also mentioned. Finally, suggestions are offered for a modified reconstruction of the basal body . THE HELICAL SENSE OF THE TRIPLETS