Application of Radioisotopes to the Study of the Metabolism of Fresh-Water Snails (Gastropoda-Pulmonata)

Abstract

Summary and Conclusions Fresh-water snails (Helisoma duryi normale) were placed in solutions containing phosphorus, iodine or copper tagged with the respective isotopes P32, I131, and Cu64. It was shown by means of autoradiographs of the snail tissues that the radioactive compounds were absorbed by the intestinal tract and became diffused through the various organs, with a tendency to concentrate in the hepato-pancreas, especially in the case of phosphorus. The toxic action of copper on the protoplasm was observed, confirming a previous histopathological study. Addition of a phosphate or a sulfate, which are often found in natural habitats of snails, did not interfere with the molluscicidal action of copper sulfate.