The anterior (or cephalic) headspace of microfilariae refers to the amount of space devoid of nuclei.
In general, the relative length of the headspace may be short or long.
Short headspace: Wuchereria, Loa, Mansonella
Long headspace: Brugia, Onchocerca
Note: The image provided is a detail of Brugia malayi, exhibiting a long headspace.
20. CDC/Melvin. Detail of headspace: Image #3004. "Under a magnification of 1000X, this photomicrograph reveals some of the ultrastructural morphology exhibited at the anterior end of a Brugia malayi microfilaria, which was found in this thick film blood smear specimen processed using Giemsa stain." PHIL public domain. Created 1977. Accessed April 6, 2023. https://phil.cdc.gov/Details.aspx?pid=3004
