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Some observations on the fine structure of the sertoli cell in the human testis

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Summary

The Sertoli cells of the human testis were studied by means of electron microscope. The membranous structures, lipid droplets and filamentous components in the cytoplasm were described. Of membranous structures, the lamellar body which consists of the fenestrated agranular reticulum was noted. Two types of filaments were observed. One was thin and similar to the tonofilaments. The other was thick and distributed in the periphery of the cytoplasm. Possible function of the lamellar body with lipid droplets and of the filaments was discussed.

The materials used in this study were selected from scores of testicular biopsies of different aged men. Thorough observations were made on such materials that appeared to be normal or contained slightly less mature spermatids, judging from histological examinations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan

    Toshio Nagano

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  1. Toshio Nagano
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This work was supported by grant HD-00593 of the National Institutes of Health, United States Public Health Service, and by the Japanese Ministry of Education. Some results in this paper were reported in the Gunma Symp. Endocrin. 2, 19–27 (1965). The author wishes to thank Dr. T. Katayama, Department of Urology, Chiba University for supplying specimens, to Mrs. T. Matsui for drawing Fig. 13 and to Miss M. Yamada for preparing the manuscript.

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Nagano, T. Some observations on the fine structure of the sertoli cell in the human testis. Zeitschrift für Zellforschung 73, 89–106 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00348468

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