Transmission electron microscopy of the gastrointestinal tract of Nile perch Lates niloticus.

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V. T. Namulawa; C. D. Kato; E. Nyatia; J. Rutaisire & P. J. Britz

Summary

The ultrastructure of the gastrointestinal tract of Nile perch was described using Transmission Electron Microscopy standard procedures. Investigations revealed the presence of mucous cells, blood vessels and oil droplets plus several nerve cells and muscle bundles in the oral cavity. Further observations revealed columnar epithelial cells in the oesophagus, with a ragged surface, high electron dense cytoplasm, intercellular spaces, mitochondria and mucus granules. The lamina propria of the oesophagus was composed of loose connective tissue, blood vessels, nerve cells and several leucocytes, while the muscularis externa was composed of striated muscle bundles with the a Z line, A band and I band. The stomach was characterized by mucosal glandular cells with electron dense granules, a prominent nucleus, mitochondria, and secretory canaliculi. The liver had an isotropic parenchyma composed of several hepatocytes with a single spherical euchromatic nucleus. The exocrine pancreatic cells in the liver occurred around large blood vessels, had large centrally positioned nuclei with electron dense nucleolus, electron dense granules, Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum, and mitochondria which dominated the cytoplasm of pancreatic cells.

KEY WORDS: Ultrastructure; Gastrointestinal tract; Nile perch.

How to cite this article

NAMULAWA, V. T.; KATO, C. D.; NYATIA E.; RUTAISIRE, J. & BRITZ, P. J. Transmission electron microscopy of the gastrointestinal tract of Nile perch Lates niloticus. Int. J. Morphol., 33(2):751-758, 2015.