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Ultrastructure of phagocytic cells in the spleen of Psammophis sibilans (serpentes: Colubridae)
Author(s) -
Saad Abdel Hakim
Publication year - 1994
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.1052220303
Subject(s) - red pulp , white pulp , reticular cell , spleen , biology , reticular connective tissue , ultrastructure , pulp (tooth) , phagocytosis , pathology , mononuclear phagocyte system , lymphatic system , anatomy , immunology , medicine
The spleen of Psammophis sibilans is composed mainly of red pulp, the white pulp being poorly developed. The white pulp lymphoid clusters are scattered throughout the organ and contain lymphocytes, reticular cells, and some plasma cells. The red pulp consists of reticular cells intermingled with blood cells, sinusoids, and melanomacrophage centers (MMCs). Filtering of particulate matter from the blood occurs in the red pulp by phagocytes of the pulp cord. MMCs are formed by the association of free macrophages that have phagocytosed some blood cells. Early filtering of particulate matter by the phagocytes of the pulp cords may allow for more efficient phagocytosis of erythrocytes by the MMCs. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.