Summary
The surface of the retinal pigment epithelium in chick embryos and young chicks was studied by scanning electron microscopy. It is demonstrated, that pigment cells not only have fine processes on their retinal surface, but also to a considerable extent on their basal cell membrane. The occurrence of these processes was studied during differentiation of the retina. The appearance of these surface differentiations can no longer be interpreted solely as the result of membrane infoldings but to be mainly the result of membrane sprouting processes.
The formation of processes on the retinal surface of pigment cells precedes that of the processes on the choroidal surface. The length of the mature processes on the apical surface is greater than the length of those on the basal surface.
The appearance of the fine cell processes is correlated with the functions of pigment epithelium and with the differentiation of retinal receptor cells.
This study illustrates that the technique of scanning electron microscopy is not limited to the examination of naturally occurring tissue surfaces, but can be extended to the investigation of tissue fractures.
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Supported by ‘Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft’ (Br. 3582) and in part by the SFB 33 (Göttingen; Team Meller).
The authors wish to acknowledge the skilful technical assistance of Mr. Karl Donberg and Miss Gisela Bartsch.
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Breipohl, W., Bornfeld, N., Bijvank, G.J. et al. Scanning electron microscopy of the retinal pigment epithelium in chick embryos and chicks. Z.Zellforsch 146, 543–552 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02347182
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02347182