Electron Microscopy of the Human Sebaceous Gland

Abstract

The human sebaceous glands were observed with the electron microscope. The youngest cell contains a few mitochondria, smooth surfaced vesicles and tonofilaments. As the cell grows, small dense granules appear abundantly, but tonofilaments diminish. Smooth surfaced vesicles are multiplied and lipid droplets are produced and enlarged.Mature cells are filled with extremely large lipid droplets and abundant vesicles which make appearance of the cell like a sponge. Small dense granules markedly decrease in number. The nucleus becomes to be irregularly shaped with an extremely dense karyoplasm, which is ready to the death of the cell converting into the sebum.It is tentatively assumed that the lipid droplets may be transformed from mitochondria, and that the origin of smooth surfaced vesicles may be ascribed to the small dense cytoplasmic granules.