The ultrastructure of the pecten oculi in the chick

Abstract

The ultrastructure of the bridge of the pecten oculi was studied in the newlyhatched chick. Whereas most of the bridge resembled the pleats in being composed of small blood vessels and intervening pigment cells, the distal portion of the bridge consisted of polarized pigment cells only. The processes of the pigment cells extended into the vitreous body and were covered by a discontinuous dense lamina, believed to be continuous with that of the internal limiting membrane of the retina. It did not form a complete separation between the bridge and the vitreous body. Intercellular spaces were not conspicuous, although the considerable structural variations dependent on the techniques employed need to be stressed.