Lamellar structures in rat ova and their chemical composition

The paper represents a study of the chemical composition of lamellar structures in rat ova during cleavage based on the morphology of their submicroscopic structure after the action of various fixatives and various methods of contrasting ultrathin sections and on the employment of cytochemical methods. Reactions to RNA, polysaccharides, acid and alkaline phosphatase, non-specific esterase, glucoso-6-phosphatase and succinate dehydrogenase were tested on a submicroscopic level; lipids were tested on a light-microscopic level. The results have shown that the lamellae are composed of proteins. No RNA, polysaccharides, lipids or any of the investigated enzymes were detected in lamellar structures. Lamellar structures, therefore, are considered to be storage material chiefly used in the second half of the cleavage for developmental processes in the rat ovum.