Variable Height of Intestinal Absorptive Cells

Abstract

THE height of absorptive cells of the small intestine is known to vary in different parts of the gut and also according to their position on the villi. In paraffin sections it is seen that the cells at the tip of the villus are shorter than those along its sides, However, it is not generally appreciated, particularly in paraffin sections, that even adjacent cells may vary considerably in height. This becomes obvious when cells are studied in scrapings from fresh gut suspended in isotonic saline; Fig. 1 represents a not infrequent appearance of cells of the albino rat (× 1,500). The cells have been lightly stained with toluidine blue. Their striated borders, terminal webs and terminal bars are in alignment. The bases of all three cells reach different levels, one projecting far below the others. A projecting base has also been seen in a cell in the middle of a row on other occasions. The occasional bi- and tri-nucleate absorptive cells of giant size reported by me (Acta Anat., Basle, in the press) would also probably stand with the striated border aligned with their neighbours by having their bases sunk into pockets of basement membrane and lamina propria.