Abstract
Aspects of the ultrastructure of major salivary glands of mammals are reviewed with special attention to the variations manifested by different species. The species- specificity of secretory granules is shown as well as specialized cytoplasmic structures in endpiece secretory cells. Granular convoluted tubule cells in Praomys natalensis, the richest known source of nerve growth factor, are illustrated, as well as the structural basis for basal striations in striated ducts. Different kinds of crystalloids occurring in excretory ducts are displayed. An extreme departure from conventional salivary gland histology is demonstrated. Finally, a situation in which the lumina in the accessory submandibular gland of an exotic bat are occupied by an abundance of bacteria, which are thought to be symbiotic, is illustrated.
