LYSOSOMES IN THE SEMINIFEROUS TUBULES OF THE DOMESTIC FOWL AS REVEALED BY ACID PHOSPHATASE ACTIVITY

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Acid phosphatase has been used as a cytochemical marker for the identification of lysosomes in the seminiferous tubules of the domestic fowl with attention being focused mainly on the process of spermiogenesis. While small lysosomes were located in early spermatids, large autophagic vacuoles of diverse morphology were abundant in the elongating and late spermatids. In the Sertoli cells, lysosomes occurred as large irregular dense bodies. The residues of spermatid autophagy were released from the germinal epithelium in the form membrane whorls. The role of the spermatid autophagic vacuoles and the Sertoli cell lysosomes in the disposal of redundant spermatid cytoplasm is discussed.