Ultrastructure of baboon parotid gland

The parotid gland of the olive baboon, Papio anubis, was examined by electron microscopy. The acini are all serous in nature, and consist of pyramidal cells with abundant secretory granules of varying size. These granules consist of a dense matrix in which a denser spherule or lenticular body is present. Granules linked by a short isthmus are observed in the apical cytoplasm, and granules in the process of discharging their contents to the acinar lumen may be connected to the luminal plasma membrane by a neck-like protrusion. Intercalated duct cells contain granules reminiscent of those found in the rat submandibular acinar cells. The striated ducts consist of tall cells interlocked in a complex fashion near their bases, with numerous vertically-oriented mitochondria lodged in their basal crenulations. Small vesicles whose contents vary in density are present in the apical cytoplasm as are large deposits of lipofuscin. The striated duct cells display a proclivity for ballooning into the duct lumen. Excretory ducts consist of simple to pseudostratified columnar epithelium, and lack basal striations or apical blebs.