Abstract

A morphological andk histochimical study on the amterior tintacular antenna of Korean sulg, Incilaria fruhstorferi was conducted under the light microscopic observations. The histological sturctures of the antenna were apparently divided into three parts such as the epithelium, the connective tissues and the muscular layers. The cells forming the antenna were classified into several types on the basis of their morphological and histochemical characteristics. The simple columnar epithelium cotering the whole antenna was composed of supporting cells, sensory neurons and type-a clear cells. The connective tissue was consisted of dispersed large cells, type-b clear cells and 7 types of secretory cills such as type-A, type-B, type-F, thpe-G, type-H, type-J and type-K. The large cells found in the form of group situated only in the stalk of the antenna. The large cells possessed relatively small nuclei as compared with their cytoplasm. The cytoplasm positively reacted upon alcian blue, and the nucleus was PASpositive. The type-a and type-b clear cells which were irregular in shape showed no evident reaction against various stains employed in the present study. The secrtory cells were observed mainly in the connective tissues and in the muscular layers. Histochemical components of the type-A, type-B and K were identified as acid mucopolysaccharides and those of type-F and H were neutral mucopolysaccharides. The muscular layders supporting the epithelium possessed the type-B and F secretory cells which were also observed in the connective tissues.