BEITRÄGE ZUR SCHILDDRÜSENSTRUKTUR: III. ZUR FRAGE DER MAKROTHYREOCYTEN IN DER SCHILDDRÜSE NEBST HISTOPHYSIOLOGISCHEN BEMERKUNGEN

Abstract

The thyroid follicles are always coated by a single layer of epithelium showing well marked "Schlussleisten." The swelling of the intercellular substance between active follicular cells indicates that these elements take part in the elimination of colloid. There is no direct basal secretion of the follicular epithelium. Between the common follicular cells there are in the thyroid voluminous cells with a large nucleus in the middle and a rounded body. These have been called macrothyreocytes. They are identical with the "parenchymatous cells" (Baber), the "protoplasmareichen Zellen" (Hurthle), the macrothyroctyes" (Zechel), the "parafollicular cells" (Nonidez), and the "grosse helle Zellen" (Altmann). The macrothyreocytes are the earliest stages of a beginning indirect cell division.