22 



The Anatomy of the Salivary Glands 



On the basal aspect of the cells infolding of the plasma mem- 

 brane may be extensive and produce S-shaped patterns of parallel 

 layers of the membranes (Fig. 2.9). These correspond to the basal 

 striations seen in the light microscope. This kind of basal infolding 

 is only seen in cells which may be regarded as having secretory 

 properties, and has led to the suggestion (Pease, 1956) that this 

 arrangement is concerned with water transport. There seems no 

 reason to tie this appearance specifically to water transport, it is 



Fig. 2.9. Intralobular striated duct cell from the rat submaxillary gland. 



Note basal parallel rows of mitochondria with infolding of the basal cell membrane between 

 them (Leeson, 1959). 



probable that the infolding provides a greatly augmented surface 

 area for transport of many substances. If this is the correct explana- 

 tion it is very interesting that it should involve the basal surface of 

 the cell — implying that transport into the cell is in greater need of 

 assistance than is expulsion from the cell into the secretion (cp. 

 secretion of iodide, p. 155). According to Leeson and Jacoby 

 ( I 959^) tne striated duct cells in the rat submaxillary gland show 

 very marked basal infolding, the granular tubules show much less, 

 while Pease (1956) shows pronounced basal infolding in acinar 

 cells in the same gland, but in a later paper found basal infolding 



