FORMATION OF CONNECTIVE TISSUE. 



73 



taining only round, another's, on the contrary, only 

 caudate or stellate, cells, but in all connective tissues 



FIG. 21. 



round, long and angular cells may occur. The simplest 

 case is where round cells lie at certain intervals, and 

 intercellular substance appears between them. This is 

 the form which we see most beautifully shown in hyaline 

 cartilage, as in that lining the joints, for example, in 

 which the intercellular matter is perfectly homogeneous, 

 and we see nothing but a substance which, though, per- 

 haps, slightly granulated here and there, is on the whole 

 quite as clear as water, so that as long as we do not see 

 the edges of the preparation, doubt may arise as to whe- 

 ther anything at all exists between the cells. 



This substance is characteristic of hyaline cartilage. 

 Now we find that, under certain circumstances, the round 

 cells became even in cartilage transformed into oblong 



Fig. 21. Diagram of the development of connective-tissue, according to my inves- 

 tigations. A. Earliest stage. Hyaline basis- (intercellular) substance, with largish 

 cells (connective-tissue corpuscles); the latter drawn up in rows at regular intervals; 

 at first separated, spindle-shaped, and simple ; at a later period anastomosing and 

 branched. B. More advanced stage ; at a, the basis-substance which has become 

 striated (fibrillated), presents a fasciculated appearance on account of the cells 

 imbedded in it in rows, the cells becoming narrower and smaller ; at 6, the striution 

 of the basis-substance has disappeared under the influence of acetic acid, and the 

 fine and long anastomosing fibre-cells (connective-tissue corpuscles), still retaining 

 their nuclei, are seen. 



