[Ultrastructural study of the basal cells of the prostatic gland]

The ultrastructure of basal cell in canine and bovine prostate is studied. In the canine prostate only one type of basal cell could be specified, however in the bovine prostate type I and type II basal cells could be described. Canine basal cell and bovine type I have similar characteristic and never reach the alveolar lumen whereas bovine type II basal cell is columnar in shape, has numberous mitochondria in the apical pole and ocassionally reaches the alveolar lumen. Type II is a clearly defined intermediate cell between type I and secretory elements. All types of basal cells in both species have ultrastructural features which correspond to those of undifferentiated stem cells.