Thyroid glandsfollicle cells of lower vertebrates, namely of the pigeons and tortoises were electron microscopically observed in relation to the endocrine mechanism involved in the secretion, storage, and release of thyroid hormone, and the results obtained were discussed by comparing with data known of mammalian thyroid gland.
1. The follicle cells examined here possess essentially almost the same structure as those known in mammals. Probably almost the same processes of function occur in almost the same manner in each organelle.
2. From the apical plasma membrane, a number of microvilli project into the colloid, and their matrix has usually no special structure such as vesicles, vacuoles, and secretory granules.
3. The apical plasma membrane found between the microvilli shows sometimes tiny indentations. The indentations are more frequent in the tortoise.
4. In the superficial cytoplasmic zone are more or less extensively seen small vesicles which remain impossible to determine, whether they are related to the indentations or to the vesicles of the Golgi apparatus.
5. Along the apical margins of the lateral plasma membranes of adjacent follicle cells, well-developed terminal bars are found, and in the other part interdigitations and desmosomes are formed. In the pigeon the interdigitations are simply peg-like and desmosomes also poorly developed. In the tortoise the interdigitations are far more complicated, especially in places where more than two follicle cells are in contact. The interdigitations appear as severallayered concentric circles, semicircles and whorles. Desmosomes of the tortoise are well-developed and divisible into three types.
6. The mitochondria seen in both animals are almost the same in structure as those reported in mammals.
7. The Golgi apparatus consists of numerous vesicles, a number of vacuoles and several arcuated lamellae, and appears to be the site of producing of hormone substance as secretory granules.
8. The secretory granules are of different electron density and size, generally small near the Golgi apparatus, and as they move towards the apical plasma membrane increase in size and density. In the superficial cytoplasmic zone, they are again of low density. No morphological evidence of secretion as such into the follicle cavity is observed.
9. The rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum is well-developed, containing homogeneous substance like the follicle colloid, and appears as sacs and cisternae of different number, size and shape. Some of them round up and resemble in shape ordinary secretory granules. In the basal half, the sacs and cisternae dilate to a considerable degree and sometimes occupy its entire extent. This is exaggerated in the pigeon.
10. In the pigeon, paired centrioles are found in the apical half of the cell body and one of them serves as the point of origin of the central flagellum.
11. The basal plasma membrane is smooth, but sometimes in the tortoise infoldings are formed. The basement membrane is seen beneath the basal plasma membrane and in the tortoise is sometimes thicker containing fibrillar elements.
12. The nuclei show no special characteristics in both animals.
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