Ultrastructure and arrangement of hepatocyte cords in the duckling's liver

Hepatocytes are arranged in 30 microns diameter cords. A transverse section through a cord shows 4-6 wedge-shaped hepatocytes arranged around a central bile canaliculus Hepatocyte cords branch to form a continuous three dimensional meshwork which interlocks with an almost identical one of blood sinusoids. Bile canaliculi, at the centre of the cords, are formed by the biliary poles of 4-6 hepatocytes being joined together by tight junctions and collectively surrounding a small tube of extracellular space. Side branches are common and form between the lateral walls of hepatocytes radial to the main central canaliculus.