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Ultrastructure of the Respiratory Epithelium in the Lungs of the Newt Triturus cristatus
Author(s) -
Meban Cowan
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
acta zoologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.414
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 1463-6395
pISSN - 0001-7272
DOI - 10.1111/j.1463-6395.1977.tb00250.x
Subject(s) - ultrastructure , biology , cytoplasm , respiratory epithelium , epithelium , respiratory system , lung , anatomy , triturus , microbiology and biotechnology , pathology , medicine , genetics
The respiratory epithelium in the lungs of the newt Triturus cristatus has been studied by electron microscopy. The entire pulmonary gas‐exchange area is covered by a continuous epithelium, the cells of which are all of the same type and are termed “pneumonocytes”. Typically each pneumonocyte is squamous and has attenuated sheets of cytoplasm which cover the pulmonary capillaries. Its free surface bears microvilli while mitochondria, multivesticular bodies and small inclusions are prominent in its cytoplasm. Many pneuomonocytes send cytoplasmic processes deep into the substance of the lung wall. It is postulated that these processes may help to anchor the epithelium.