Figure 1
From: Ploidy dynamics in aphid host cells harboring bacterial symbionts
Intracellular symbiosis in the pea-aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. (a) a photograph of pea-aphids (viviparous females). (b) Aphids harbor their bacterial symbionts in the specialized organ, bacteriome. The organ contains two types of cells, bacteriocytes and sheath cells. Bacteriocytes are symbiotic host cells that harbor Buchnera aphidicola in the cytoplasm and are remarkably large (approximately 100 μm in diameter); sheath cells are much smaller than bacteriocytes and do not present Buchnera. The function of sheath cells has not been well studied. Illustrations were drawn according to Koga et al.21.
