Summary
The oyster brown cell, a connective tissue cell of uncertain function and affinity, was characterized in the electron microscope by (1) the presence of large cytoplasmic granules, (2) fenestrations of the plasma membrane, and (3) an extensive tubular network originating in, or emptying into, the plasma membrane fenestrations. The brown cell did not appear to be a cell involved in glycogen storage or in the manufacture of “exportable” protein. The extensive tubular network and the membrane slits suggested that the brown cell may have been involved in the processing of biological fluids.
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This work was supported in part by Public Health Service Contract No. 5 To 1 ES00038-02, Health Sciences Advancement Award No. RR06138, and Tumor Biology Training Grant, NIH CA 05245.
We wish to thank Miss Grete Nilsen for her expert technical assistance and Mr. Bob Munn for his help in the use of the electron microscope and for proof reading our MS. Our appreciation is also extended to Dr. J. Luft, Dr. A. K. Sparks, Miss P. Phelps, Mr. M. DeVault, and to the personnel of the Johnson Oyster Company, Inverness.
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Ruddell, C.L., Wellings, S.R. The ultrastructure of the oyster brown cell, a cell with a fenestrated plasma membrane. Z. Zellforsch 120, 17–28 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00331241
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00331241