Rt 



THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TEETH. : i 



medium, so that it may fairly be concluded that the enamel 

 cells, as they are used up in the formation of enamel, are 

 recruited from the cells of this layer. 



The " stratum intermedium" consists of cells intermediate 

 in character between those of the bordering epithelium and 

 the stellate reticulum ; they are branched, but less conspicu- 

 ously so than the stellate cells, with which on the one hand 

 they are continuous, on the other with the enamel cells. 



The stellate cells proper are characterised by the great 

 ^ength of their communicating processes, and the interspace 

 of the meshes is occupied by a fluid rich in albumen, so that 

 the consistence of the whole is little more than that of jelly ; 

 as the structure in question constitutes the major part in 

 bulk of mammalian enamel organs, these have been called 

 the enamel jellies, or enamel pulps. 





Fro. 65 



The function and destination of this portion of the enamel 

 organ is not very clear: enamel can be very well formed 

 without it, as is seen amongst reptiles and fish, and even 

 in mammalia it disappears prior to the completion of the 

 enamel, so that the external and internal epithelia come into 

 contact. It has been supposed to have no more important 

 function than to fill up the space subsequently taken up by 

 the growing tooth. (See page 156). 



( l ) Cells of the stellate reticulum of the enamel organ. From Frey's 

 Histology. 



