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The ultimobranchial body in Rana pipiens

II. The various cell types and the fate of secretory granules in the parenchyma of the young adult

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Summary

  1. 1.

    Electron micrographs of the ultimobranchial body in the young adult Rana pipiens reveal a variety of cell types.

  2. 2.

    Ovoid cells, with a well developed ergastoplasm, have an attachment only at the basement membrane and do not extend to the lumen surface. They are seen only beneath cells with a degenerate cytoplasm.

  3. 3.

    Elongate cells, with ergastoplasm, a Golgi apparatus and a few secretory granules, are found between degenerating cells. These apparently do not have a free apical border.

  4. 4.

    The predominant parenchymal cell, with an apical free border, possesses a perinuclear Golgi apparatus with densities within the vesicles which are similar to those of secretory granules. A basal migration of granules is suggested since subunits within the granules are released as an endocrine secretion across the basement membrane.

  5. 5.

    Cells with a “goblet” configuration, which contain lamellar bodies in a degenerate cytoplasm, are seen apical to cells with a well developed ergastoplasm.

  6. 6.

    The various cell types present in the follicular epithelium are suggestive of a maturation process of the parenchyma. This interpretation is based upon the relative position, the altered cytoplasmic components, the degree of attachment to adjacent cells and the endocrine secretory activity of the ultimobranchial body.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, Upstate Medical Center, Syracuse, New York, USA

    Douglas R. Robertson

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  1. Douglas R. Robertson
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Additional information

This project was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health, Grant No. 3 TI GM 326-05.

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Robertson, D.R. The ultimobranchial body in Rana pipiens . Zeitschrift für Zellforschung 67, 584–599 (1965). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00340326

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00340326

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