The fine structure of the pig's retina

Retinas from 3 groups of pigs were examined; three farm pigs of 2 months, nine miniature pigs of 4 to 5 months and nine slaughter house pigs of about 12 months. No ultrastructural differences were observed between these 3 groups. With the major exception that the pig's retina does not have a fovea, it was found to closely resemble that of man. The inner layers of the pig's retina tended to thicken somewhat towards the peripapillary region. The more distinctive points of the pig's retina are the following: 1. The relatively even distribution of cones throughout the retina with their large, polymorphous ellipsoidal mitochondria showing transversally oriented cristae. 2. The presence of a microtubular structure in the rod from retinas fixed with glutaraldehyde. 3. The impressive size of the horizontal cells with their large cytoplasmic processes. 4. The prominant RER and mitochondria with a granular content and scarce cristae present in the Müller cells at the inner nuclear layer level. 5. The presence of numerous astrocytes in the more inner layers. 6. The presence of capillaries in the thicker nerve fiber layer in the peripapillary region. The relatively even distribution of cones throughout the retina with their large, polymorphous ellipsoidal mitochondria showing transversally oriented cristae. The presence of a microtubular structure in the rod from retinas fixed with glutaraldehyde. The impressive size of the horizontal cells with their large cytoplasmic processes. The prominant RER and mitochondria with a granular content and scarce cristae present in the Müller cells at the inner nuclear layer level. The presence of numerous astrocytes in the more inner layers. The presence of capillaries in the thicker nerve fiber layer in the peripapillary region. The pig's retina, and most notably that of the conveniantly small miniature pig, was concluded to be a suitable model for future retinal studies.

[1]  Moyer Fh.  Development, structure, and function of the retinal pigmented epithelium. , 1969, UCLA forum in medical sciences.

[2]  F. Moyer.  Development, structure, and function of the retinal pigmented epithelium. , 1969, UCLA Forum in Medical Sciences.

[3]  A. J. Godfrey,et al.  A study of the ultrastructure of visual cell outer segment membranes. , 1973, Journal of ultrastructure research.

[4]  B. Boycott,et al.  Organization of the Primate Retina: Light Microscopy , 1969 .

[5]  A. Cohen.  VERTEBRATE RETINAL CELLS AND THEIR ORGANIZATION , 1963 .

[6]  G. L. Ruskell,et al.  Anatomy and histology of the eye and orbit in domestic animals. , 1960 .

[7]  N. Orzalesi,et al.  FILAMENTOUS STRUCTURES IN THE INNER SEGMENT OF HUMAN RETINAL RODS , 1964, The Journal of cell biology.

[8]  R. Engerman,et al.  Retinal vasculature of the pig. Light and electron microscope studies. , 1965, Experimental eye research.

[9]  N. Ashton,et al.  II. Ultrastructural changes in focal retinal ischaemia. , 1966, The British journal of ophthalmology.

[10]  A. Iraldi,et al.  Granulated vesicles in retinal synapses and neurons , 2005, Zeitschrift für Zellforschung und Mikroskopische Anatomie.

[11]  B. Boycott,et al.  Organization of the primate retina: electron microscopy , 1966, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological Sciences.

[12]  J. Dowling,et al.  Organization of vertebrate retinas. , 1970, Investigative ophthalmology.

[13]  D. A. Moshkov,et al.  The ultrastructural organization of the photoreceptor membranes and the intradisc spaces of the vertebrate retina as revealed by various experimental treatments. , 1973, Vision research.

[14]  S. Mountford,et al.  FILAMENTOUS ORGANELLES IN RECEPTOR-BIPOLAR SYNAPSES OF THE RETINA. , 1964, Journal of ultrastructure research.

[15]  Hogan,et al.  Histology of the human eye;: An atlas and textbook , 1971 .

[16]  M. Tsacopoulos,et al.  The effect of arterial PCO2 on inner-retinal oxygen availability in monkeys. , 1973, Investigative Ophthalmology.

[17]  M J HOGAN,et al.  THE ULTRASTRUCTURE OF THE RETINAL BLOOD VESSELS. I. THE LARGE VESSELS. , 1963, Journal of ultrastructure research.

[18]  L. Missotten,et al.  The ultrastructure of the human retina , 1965 .

[19]  J. Rootman.  Vascular system of the optic nerve head and retina in the pig. , 1971, The British journal of ophthalmology.

[20]  M. Hogan,et al.  THE ULTRASTRUCTURE OF THE RETINAL VESSELS. II. THE SMALL VESSELS. , 1963, Journal of ultrastructure research.

[21]  D. Albert,et al.  Microtubules in retinoblastoma. , 1970, American journal of ophthalmology.

[22]  R. Seïte.  Recherches sur l'ultrastructure, la nature et la signification des inclusions microfibrillaires paracristallines des neurones sympathiques , 2004, Zeitschrift für Zellforschung und Mikroskopische Anatomie.

[23]  N. Popoff.  Filamentous alteration in photoreceptors from human eyes with retinoblastoma. , 1973, Journal of ultrastructure research.

[24]  M. Karnovsky.  THE FINE STRUCTURE OF MITOCHONDRIA IN THE FROG NEPHRON CORRELATED WITH CYTOCHROME OXIDASE ACTIVITY. , 1963, Experimental and molecular pathology.