Ultrastructure of Giant Mitochondria and Their Inclusions in Schwann Cells of Bovine Splenic Nerve

Abstract

Giant mitochondria of various shapes and with different internal structures and matrix density have been observed in a great number of tissues including nerves. In most instances, the presence of giant mitochondria has been associated with a known disease or with abnormal physiological conditions such as anoxia or exposure to cytotoxic compounds. In these cases degenerative changes occurred in other cell organelles and, therefore the giant mitochondria also were believed to be induced structural abnormalities.Schwann cells ensheating unmyelinated axons of bovine splenic nerve regularly contain giant mitochondria in addition to the conventional smaller type (Fig. 1). These nerves come from healthy inspected animals presumed not to have been exposed to noxious agents. As there are no drastic changes in the small mitochondria and because other cell components also appear reasonably well preserved, it is believed that the giant mitochondria are normally present jin vivo and have not formed as a post-mortem artifact.