[Influence of Professor Konstanty Janicki's discoveries on progress in protistology]

Abstract

Professor Konstanty Janicki published 11 protozoological papers. They concern the flagellate parasites of cockroaches and termites, as well as the amebas parasitising cockroaches and chaetognaths. He described the morphology and cytology of 12 species of flagellates, including 4 new species and genera. Three new species parasitising termites belong to the Parabasalia, one--Oxymonas granulosa, without the Golgi apparatus, initiated a new group of protista, the Oxymonadida Grassé, 1952. Konstanty Janicki also examined some important questions dealing with protozoology such as: (1) Karyomastigont. Janicki analysed the connection of the cell nucleus to the mastigont system in flagellates from termites and cockroaches. Also he described the replication of karyomastigonts of some species. This organelle plays an important part in the discussions on evolution of the lower Protista. (2) Parabasal apparatus. Janicki described the parabasal body in flagellates from cockroaches and termites, paying special attention to its peculiarities. This organelle was later named: "Janicki-type parabasal apparatus" and together with pleuromitosis became the main characters of an independent group of protista--Parabasalia. (3) Parasome. Konstanty Janicki also studied the enigmatic body (parasome, Nebenkörper), near the cell nucleus and staining like it, in amebas from the genus Paramoeba. He described this body dividing. After TEM investigation of Janickina (=Paramoeba) pigmentifera, this body is presently recognized as an endosymbiotic flagellate. Summing up, it may be stated that all findings of Professor Konstanty Janicki were the object of further investigations and occupy an important place in protistology.