SECRETION IN FOLLICLE CELLS. 221 



2. Mitochondria. 



In addition to the distal droplets, the cytoplasm of the follicle 

 cell contains usually large numbers of small spherical granules, 

 which are most numerous in the proximal region, but are found 

 distally also. There is always a row of them applied to the 

 nuclear membrane. These granules I shall speak of as mito- 

 chondria, since they conform in general to current descriptions 

 of the form and distribution of cell inclusions to which that name 

 is given, and since they stain red with acid fuchsin or black 

 with hsemotoxylin after the Regaud treatment (Fig. i), and 

 stain with janus green in cultures (Figs. 9, 10). They are 

 blackened with osmic acid (Fig. 5), and with silver nitrate 

 (Fig. 4). Bouin's, Flemming's (acetic), and Champy's treat- 

 ments do not preserve them (Figs. 2 and 3). Their numbers 

 conform with the observations of Cowdry that abundant mito- 

 chondria are associated with intense protoplasmic activity. If 

 such a relationship be granted, there are in these tissues indi- 

 cations of waves of protoplasmic activity: in many follicles, 

 notably those impregnated with osmic acid, groups of cells 

 which show a large number of mitochondria are contiguous with 

 groups showing a lesser number, and these in turn with groups 

 showing more, etc. Since the egg tubes are quite discrete, there 

 can be no question of differential penetration of the fixative. 



These mitochondrial granules are continuous in position, 

 however, with granules in both the yolk and the nucleus of the 

 follicle cell. In these three places they seem to be generally 

 similar in lipoid nature as detected by staining reactions, but 

 not exactly similar (see charts). In many cases, suggestively 

 oriented rows of them can be seen, some members of which are 

 in the vitelline membrane, and others, exactly similar in appear- 

 ance, are beyond the membrane, within the egg (Fig. i). Be- 

 ginning a short distance within the vitelline membrane, they are 

 found characteristically grouped around the other yolk con- 

 stituents. In the Da Fano preparations, granules can be seen 

 in the plasmosome of the follicle cell, and also in rows along the 

 nuclear strands which radiate from it (Fig. 4). This is remi- 

 niscent of Saguchi's findings in the frog pancreas. It also 

 suggests that the nuclear strands in the follicle cells may have a 



