Membranous body in the jejunal absorptive cells of suckling rat intestine.
In the jejunal absorptive cells of suckling rats, a distinctive membranous body was found in their lateral cytoplasm and the Golgi region. This organelle was ovoid in contour (1 to 2 microns in diameter) and consisted of highly convoluted cisternae of a rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER). The individual cisternae were round (approximately 55 nm in diameter) with variable electron-dense content and separated by uniformly narrow channels (approximately 25 nm in width) which were continuous to the cytoplasmic matrix. In a proper section, the cisternae arranged in an approximately hexagonal pattern, and one of the cisternae was seen occupying the center of the hexagon. The membranous body was in continuity at its margin with the cisternae of a smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER), and with the dilated cisternae which often contain chylomicron lipid droplets. It is possible that this structure serves as a kind of "reservoir" of the SER membranes for the lipid synthesis of the jejunal absorptive cells.
Department of Anatomy, Kagawa Medical School, Japan.
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D000818:Animals; D000833:Animals, Suckling / Q000502:physiology; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D007583:Jejunum / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains