[The gastric mucosa of the human fetus. I. The surface epithelium].
The ontogenesis of the surface epithelium in the gastric mucosa was studied by means of light and electron microscopy in 41 human foetuses ranging from 7th to 12th week of gestational age. The results obtained can be summarized as follows: 1) At the 7th week the gastric mucosa shows a simple pseudostratified epithelium; the epithelial cells are undifferentiated and filled, with glycogen clusters. 2) From the 8th week the epithelial surface shows small depressions that become deeper in the mesenchyme making the first bud of the gastric foveolae. 3) At the 9-10th week the gastric foveolae are more developed. The cells of the gastric epithelium can be therefore separated in two populations: a) the cells of the foveolae; b) the cell of the mucosal surfaces. 4) At the 12th week the cells of the mucosal surface become, on the basis of their histochemical and ultrastructural characteristics, surface mucous cells. The morphological differentiation is testified mainly by the transposition of the nuclei in the basal parts of the cells and by the gradual substitution of the cytoplasmic glycogen by mucous granules.
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Istituto di Anatomia umana normale, Università di Sassari.
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D004848:Epithelium / Q000196:embryology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000196:embryology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008854:Microscopy, Electron
La mucosa gastrica nel feto umano. I. L'epitelio di rivestimento.