STOMACH 



complex system of intra-cellular channels, which lie between the 

 nucleus and the convex edge of the cell. This communicates with 

 the lumen by way of one or more of the inter-cellular channels 

 already mentioned. When the stomach is actively secreting it is 

 found that the staining reaction to neutral red is the same in the 

 lumen as in the parietal cells ; there is thus clearly an important 

 contribution to the gastric secretion derived from these elements. 

 The Golgi system of the parietal cells differs in the elements 

 lying in the upper portion of the gland when compared with the 

 deeper cells. In the former there is a coarse perinuclear network, 

 whereas in the latter the reticulum is finer and lies around the 

 periphery of the cell. In neither case is there any obvious relation- 

 ship between the Golgi apparatus and the mesh of secretory 

 channels ; nor is there any particular polar arrangement of the 

 apparatus such as has been mentioned in the case of other secretory 

 cells. 



The third type of cell is very variable in its distribution, being 

 absent from the stomachs of some animals ; the rabbit is a 

 particularly suitable subject for investigation of the structure, 

 These elements lie on the surface of the glands and stain deep 

 yellow w^ith bichromate solutions. It is surprising how often 

 these cells have been " rediscovered " since they were first 

 described by Heidenhain in 1870 ; thus as recently as 1924 Twort 

 referred to them as an " Hitherto undescribed Type of Cells in 

 the Glands of the Stomach." 



It is important to refer to the frequent occurrence of patches of 

 intestinal glands inside the stomach, not only in pyloric region, 

 but also nearer to the fundus. Such masses are identical with the 

 lining of the small intestine. The most interesting feature of this 

 heterotopia is that it has never been recorded in autopsies on the 

 new-born or on very young children. When it has been seen in 

 adults there has always been found some associated pathological 

 condition of the stomach. It would appear, therefore, that the 

 hypoblast of the foetal foregut possesses the power to develop 

 epithelial cells of the intestinal type ; even more surprising is the 

 fact that this power does not appear to be lost by the apparently 

 highly differentiated epithelium of the adult stomach. 



