title: Freeze-fracture surface of salivary glands of rat observed by scanning electron microscopy.
abstract: The structure of parenchymal components of rat submandibular glands observed with scanning electron microscopy is presented. The glands were fixed, submerged in liquid nitrogen, cryofractured, dehydrated and critical-point-dried. The fracture surface displayed the acini, granular ducts and striated ducts. Acini exhibit a typical sponge-like pattern of irregular and empty cavities. Granular ducts are lined by bulging cells laden with numerous secretory granules. Their diameter ranged from 0.2 to 3.2 microns, with a mean value of 1.240.4 microns. Measurement of the actual granules was rendered possible by direct observation. Striated ducts exhibited a cribiform pattern near the basal cell region which corresponds to infoldings of the basal cell membrane.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005614:Freeze Fracturing; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D051381:Rats / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013363:Submandibular Gland / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D013499:Surface Properties