Summary
Untreated, decalcified and trypsinized acervuli from human pineal bodies were studied with the scanning and transmission electron microscope as well as by electron probe microanalysis. The mulberry-like acervuli are composed of a various number of spherical lobes (135–800 μm) between which clustered groups of globuli (4–14 urn in diameter) are observed. The acervular lobes are very probably formed by an aggregation of these globuli. Small round particles 125–500 Å in diameter are observed on the surface of the pineal concretions. These are not influenced by either decalcification or trypsin treatment. The acervular mineral corresponds morphologically to hydroxyapatite. The electron probe microanalysis reveals the existence of calcium and phosphorus as main components of the acervuli. Small quantities of magnesium and strontium were also detected.
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Dedicated to Professor Berta Scharrer on the occasion of her 70th birthday
With the technical assistance of Mr. P.A. Milliquet
The author wishes to thank Mr. Bauer and Mr. Fryder (Nestec SA, La Tour de Peilz) for the use of the Cambridge Stereoscan electron microscope and Dr. T. Jalanti (C.M.E., Lausanne) for his help with the use of the X-ray microanalyser
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Krstić, R. A combined scanning and transmission electron microscopic study and electron probe microanalysis of human pineal acervuli. Cell Tissue Res. 174, 129–137 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00222155
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00222155