THE STRUCTURE OF CHYLOMICRA OBTAINED FROM THE THORACIC DUCT OF THE RAT

¹ Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford
² Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford; Medical Research Council

Chylomicra, obtained from the thoracic ducts of rats which have been fed olive oil, have been washed free from soluble lymph proteins, fixed in osmium tetroxide, and sectioned after embedding in Araldite. When they are adequately fixed, the chylomicra appear in the electron microscope to have circular crosssections, to be between 100 and 3500 mµ diameter and to have uniform electron density, except for a narrow peripheral band which stains more darkly. This band, which is believed to correspond to the site of the minor lipid and protein components of the chylomicra, is not a continuous structure but is made up of minute discrete specks.