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An electron microscopic study on the type I pneumocyte in the cat: Postnatal morphogenesis
Author(s) -
Mercurio Anthony R.,
Rhodin Johannes A. G.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
journal of morphology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.652
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1097-4687
pISSN - 0362-2525
DOI - 10.1002/jmor.1051820205
Subject(s) - morphogenesis , electron micrographs , biology , cytoplasm , anatomy , distension , cell , microbiology and biotechnology , cell type , electron microscope , pathology , biophysics , optics , physics , medicine , gene , biochemistry , genetics
This investigation describes the morphogenesis of the type I pneumocyte from the neonatal stage to the age of 3 months. Cells lining subpleural air spaces were photographed from electron microscopic serial sections and a three‐dimensional representation of each cell was obtained by transferring the contours of the cell membranes from micrographs to transparent plastic sheets which were then spaced to scale and stacked. The portion of the reconstructed cell surface taking part in the formation of the blood‐airbarrier increased extensively in postnatal stages when compared with reconstructed cells of prenatal stages. Reconstructed cell‐surface irregularities decrease during distension. A cytoplasmic plate seen in the last stage studied may represent a forming alveolar pore.