Morphological variations and population density of membrane-coating granules in human gingival sulcular epithelium

Surgically excised specimens of sulcular wall with minimal inflammatory response as judged by clinical then histological criteria were processed for electron microscopy. The specimens were divided into crestal, middle and cervical areas of the sulcular epithelium. The highest concentration of membrane-coating granules was found in the upper spinous cell layers of sulcular epithelium. The profiles of these granules showed examples of both classical keratinized (lamellated) and non-keratinized (non-lamellated) forms but also other appearances that were not derived from them through differences in the plane of section. The population of granules decreased between the crestal and cervical zones, and the decrease in number was marked for the lamellated granules. This decrease in numbers of membrane-coating granules, together with the wider intercellular spaces, may be the reason why the sulcular epithelium is most permeable in the cervical region.