AN ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC STUDY OF ADULT HUMAN APOCRINE DUCT

[摘要] Electron microscopic examination of the adult human axillary apocrine duct revealed the duct to be composed usually of 3 concentric layers of cells, an inner layer, a middle layer and a basal layer. Sometimes the middle layer was absent. The cells of the inner layer showed a luminal border lined with short microvilli. They contained Golgi elements. The cells of the middle layer possessed the same characteristics as the inner cells, except for the absence of luminal differentiation. The cells of the basal layer contained glycogen in abundance. The luminal cells of the apocrine duct appeared to possess some secretory function. Near the secretory segment of the gland breaks in the luminal plasma membrane were seen through which cytoplasm was discharged into the lumen. In the upper portion of the duct near the pilosebaceous apparatus secretion took place through pinching-off of microvilli.