The immune response can serve as a key indicator of a fish’s overall health and the effect stressors have on the health of the fish. Anthropogenic factors can stress a fish’s immune system and inhibit immune responses. This study investigated the response of eosinophilic cells and macrophage aggregates to parasites in the livers, spleens, and gonads of Largemouth Bass, Micropterus salmoides. Largemouth Bass were sampled from three bodies of water in the Chattahoochee Valley of varying levels of urbanization. Histopathology of the aforementioned organs was conducted to observe both the parasite density and immune response. Eosinophilic cells were shown to be the most robust indicator of immune response based on parasite density. Bass from more urbanized areas were shown to have significantly lower immune response and significantly higher parasite density. The ovaries had the strongest immune response of all organs observed, and the livers showed the weakest response.
","abstract_html":"<p>The immune response can serve as a key indicator of a fish’s overall health and the effect stressors have on the health of the fish. Anthropogenic factors can stress a fish’s immune system and inhibit immune responses. This study investigated the response of eosinophilic cells and macrophage aggregates to parasites in the livers, spleens, and gonads of Largemouth Bass, <em>Micropterus salmoides</em>. Largemouth Bass were sampled from three bodies of water in the Chattahoochee Valley of varying levels of urbanization. Histopathology of the aforementioned organs was conducted to observe both the parasite density and immune response. Eosinophilic cells were shown to be the most robust indicator of immune response based on parasite density. Bass from more urbanized areas were shown to have significantly lower immune response and significantly higher parasite density. The ovaries had the strongest immune response of all organs observed, and the livers showed the weakest response.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Stephenson, James D"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Biology","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Biology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Harlan Hendricks","Elizabeth Klar","Dr. Michael Newbrey"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2020,"date_issued":"2020-08-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2020-08-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:45:01Z","subjects":["Histopathology","Parasites","Nematodes","Flukes","Tapeworms","Immune Response","Urbanization","Largemouth Bass","Aquaculture and Fisheries","Biology"],"languages":["English"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://csuepress.columbusstate.edu/theses_dissertations/406","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Harlan Hendricks","Elizabeth Klar","Dr. Michael Newbrey"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Stephenson, James D"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2020-10-27T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Biology"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Histopathology","Parasites","Nematodes","Flukes","Tapeworms","Immune Response","Urbanization","Largemouth Bass","Aquaculture and Fisheries","Biology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://csuepress.columbusstate.edu/theses_dissertations/406"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The immune response can serve as a key indicator of a fish’s overall health and the effect stressors have on the health of the fish. Anthropogenic factors can stress a fish’s immune system and inhibit immune responses. This study investigated the response of eosinophilic cells and macrophage aggregates to parasites in the livers, spleens, and gonads of Largemouth Bass, Micropterus salmoides. Largemouth Bass were sampled from three bodies of water in the Chattahoochee Valley of varying levels of urbanization. Histopathology of the aforementioned organs was conducted to observe both the parasite density and immune response. Eosinophilic cells were shown to be the most robust indicator of immune response based on parasite density. Bass from more urbanized areas were shown to have significantly lower immune response and significantly higher parasite density. The ovaries had the strongest immune response of all organs observed, and the livers showed the weakest response.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A Histopathological Review of Immune Response in Largemouth Bass to Parasitic Infections of Soft Tissues"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Harlan Hendricks","Elizabeth Klar","Dr. Michael Newbrey"],"dc:creator":["Stephenson, James D"],"dc:date.available":["2020-10-27T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The immune response can serve as a key indicator of a fish’s overall health and the effect stressors have on the health of the fish. Anthropogenic factors can stress a fish’s immune system and inhibit immune responses. This study investigated the response of eosinophilic cells and macrophage aggregates to parasites in the livers, spleens, and gonads of Largemouth Bass, Micropterus salmoides. Largemouth Bass were sampled from three bodies of water in the Chattahoochee Valley of varying levels of urbanization. Histopathology of the aforementioned organs was conducted to observe both the parasite density and immune response. Eosinophilic cells were shown to be the most robust indicator of immune response based on parasite density. Bass from more urbanized areas were shown to have significantly lower immune response and significantly higher parasite density. The ovaries had the strongest immune response of all organs observed, and the livers showed the weakest response.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://csuepress.columbusstate.edu/theses_dissertations/406"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:subject":["Histopathology","Parasites","Nematodes","Flukes","Tapeworms","Immune Response","Urbanization","Largemouth Bass","Aquaculture and Fisheries","Biology"],"dc:title":["A Histopathological Review of Immune Response in Largemouth Bass to Parasitic Infections of Soft Tissues"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Biology"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:45:01Z"}