GLANDULAR CELLS OF THE FROG'S PANCREAS 377 



numerous that a rosary-shaped picture is produced (figs. 57, 59, 

 63). In still other cells, there are free small granules, the chond- 

 riocontes carrying granules having disappeared (figs. 58 ,62). 

 These three figures are connected with one another by all grades 

 of transition and must be regarded as different stages of one and 

 the same process; in other words, some chondriocontes below the 

 nucleus disintegrate into granules. The latter are at first small 

 and show the same staining reactions as the chondriocontes; in- 

 creasing in size, they gradually change their staining character- 

 istics until the fat-like granules mentioned above are formed 

 (figs. 60-68). 



The genetic connection between the mitochondrial and the 

 fat or fat-like substance in the cell has received attention of some 

 recent investigators. Altmann ('94) describes the fat as passing 

 into the cell not in the form of corpuscles, but as decomposition 

 products; the assimilation of fat within the cell takes place 

 through the cell-granules; in other words, the granules, being 

 loaded with fat, become gradually transformed into fatty gran- 

 ules. The more recent investigators, Bobeau ('11), Champy 

 ('11), Dubreuil ('13), Mayer, Rathery and SchaerTer ('14), 

 Cowdry ('16), and Scott ('16), point out a striking resemblance 

 in the chemical behavior between mitochondria and fat or lipoid 

 corpuscles, and admit that the latter may be derived from the 

 former. Concerning the fatty granules of the pancreas cell, 

 Laguesse ('00) believes that they are products of disintegration 

 of 'filaments baseaux' (mitochondrial filaments?), while Bensley 

 ('11) noticed that the fat globules are often embedded in the 

 mitochondrial filaments present at the basal portion of the cell; 

 these observations afford direct confirmation of my view. It 

 would be of interest to make a comparative study of this point 

 in various kinds of cells. 



4-. Significance. Mathews ('99) relates fat-granules to the in- 

 ternal secretion of the pancreas and says: "Other than these 

 bodies there is no histological evidence of the 'internal secretion' of 

 the pancreas. It is not impossible that the substances composing 

 the internal secretion are components of the cytolymph." 

 Laguesse ('00), who considered the behavior of fat droplets at 



