THE STOMACH 



281 



FIG. 232. TRANSECTIONS OF THREE SECRETING GLANDS 

 OF THE FUNDUS REGION OF THE HUMAN STOMACH. 

 The section is taken from the portion of the glands 



near the muscularis mucosas. The parietal cells are red ; 



the central cells, black. Hematein and eosin. x 800. 



The coarse zymogen granules within the cell appear to be 

 suspended within the meshes of a finely granular cytoplasmic 

 reticulum. At the base or proximal end of the cell coarse elon- 

 gated granules of 

 prozymogen (ergasto- 

 plasm of Cade) may 



be demonstrated by ^ 8 



the 'stronger basic or 

 nuclear dyes, e.g., iron 

 hematein, toluidin 

 blue. These peculiar 

 prozymogen granules 

 are so disposed, paral- 

 lel to the axis of the 

 cell, as to give this 

 portion of the cyto- 

 plasm a somewhat 

 striated or rodded ap- 

 pearance when care- 

 fully examined after 

 suitable staining. 



The Parietal Cells (oxyntic or delomorphous cells) are large 

 ovoid or pyramidal bodies which are frequently binucleated, and 

 whose cytoplasm possesses a strong affinity for acid dyes (eosin, 

 Congo red, etc.). Their spherical nuclei contain much chromatin 

 and are centrally situated; their cytoplasm is homogeneous or 

 finely granular. 



The shape of the oxyntic cells varies with their location. At 

 the fundus of the gland where they are separated from the lumen 

 by the chief cells they are ovoid or occasionally triangular in tran- 

 section, the broad base of their triangular section being applied to 

 the basement membrane, the wide-angled tip wedged between the 

 bases of the adjacent chief cells. In the mid-portion of the secret- 

 ing tubule the parietal cells approach nearer the lumen, and, being 

 inserted between the chief cells, they acquire an increased height 

 and a pyramidal form. At the neck of the gland, where they pre- 

 sent to the glandular lumen a broad surface, the parietal cells 

 acquire a cuboidal shape. As the gland opens into its foveola 

 the parietal cells, except for an occasional dislodged or misplaced 

 individual, abruptly cease. 



In those portions of the tubule where the parietal cells are 



