This MedLibrary.org supplementary page on Serous demilune is provided directly from the open source Wikipedia as a service to our readers. Please see the note below on authorship of this content, as well as the Wikipedia usage guidelines. To search for other content from our encyclopedia supplement, please use the form below:
Related Sponsors
| Serous demilune | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Section of submaxillary gland of kitten. Duct semidiagrammatic. (Demilune labeled at center bottom.) | |
| Gray's | subject #242 1136 |
A serous demilune is a cap in the shape of a half-moon (hence the name, "demilune") on some salivary glands.
The serous demilune is an artifact from traditional methods of preparing samples. Samples are traditionally preserved and fixed in formaldehyde. When samples were preserved by quick-freezing in liquid nitrogen and then fixed with osmium tetraoxide in acetone, no demilunes are found. Examination showed that the serous cells and mucosal cells were aligned in the acinus. The traditional preparation caused serous cells to swell during fixation, and they popped out of their alignment. After sectioning the cells resembled the common demilune shape, and were so named. [1]
When the gland has this demilunar structure, it produces both serous and mucous secretions, and is thus classified as "mixed".
External links
- serous+demilune at eMedicine Dictionary
- Histology at OU 13_05 - "Trachea"
- Physiology at MCG 6/6ch4/s6ch4_4
- Slide at cytochemistry.net
- MedEd at Loyola Histo/HistoImages/hl9-21.jpg
Notes
- ^ Ross, Michael (2003). Histology: A Text and Atlas. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 434-474. ISBN 0781751241.
|
||||||||
 |
This digestive system article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 2 August 2008, at 20:16.
Wikipedia Authorship and Review
Wikipedia content provided here is not reviewed directly by MedLibrary.org. Wikipedia content is authored by an open community of volunteers and is not produced by or in any way affiliated with MedLibrary.org.
Wikipedia Usage Guidelines
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article on "Serous demilune".
The URL for this specific entry is:
All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details). Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.