THE BEHAVIOR AND RELATIONS OF LIVING CON- 

 NECTIVE TISSUE CELLS IN THE FINS OF FISH 

 EMBRYOS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE 

 HISTOGENESIS OF THE COLLAGINOUS OR WHITE 

 FIBERS 



JEREMIAH S. FERGUSON 



Assistant Professor of Histology 

 Cornell University Medical College, New York City 



TEN FIGURES 



In the process of connective tissue development the cells first 

 arise, the fibers later appear. This sequence is established be- 

 yond controversy. The ontogenetic relation of cell and fiber is 

 not, however, so thoroughly established. The theories advanced 

 may be grouped under three heads: (1) Intra-cellular origin, the 

 cells may transform into fibers (Schwann, Valentin, Boll, Flem- 

 ming, Spuler, Livini) . (2) Extra-cellular origin, the fibers arise in 

 the intercellular substance by its fibrillation, or possibly as a 

 secretion from the cells (Henle, Merkel, Virchow, Kolliker). 

 (3) Epicellular origin, the fibers form in an ectoplasm at the sur- 

 face of the cell (Schultze, Hansen, Golowinski, Mall). 



These theories have all been primarily founded upon the results 

 of examination of 'fixed' or 'killed' tissue, or upon the study of 

 fresh teased tissue. Living connective tissue has been studied in 

 the mesentery of the frog and other animals under conditions 

 which are accompanied by marked inflammatory reaction and 

 certain stages of the formation of exudates and of scar tissue 

 have been thus investigated, and more recently movements of 

 connective tissue cells have been observed in tissue cultures but 

 so far as I know the theories of the histogenesis of connective 

 tissue have not been examined with reference to the behavior of 

 living cells under normal conditions. 



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