Über den Einfluß des hydrostatischen druckes auf die ultrastrukturen von zellen und geweben. I. Untersuchungen am Kiemenepithel marine Muscheln

The effect of high hydrostatic pressure on the ultrastructures of gill tissues of a variety of marine bivalves has been investigated employing a new technique of pressure fixation. The degree of disintegration of some cell organelles is augmented by increasing pressure. Pressure effects on the plasmalemma of the cell surface, with its microvilli and the shaft of the cilia, as well as on the microtubuli of the cilia themselves, can be made visible. At low pressure (400 atm), the plasmalemma forms small vesicular elements. At high pressure (700 atm), large oedematous expansions can be observed. The microtubuli of the cilia disintegrate at 700 atm, so that the cross-section only reveals homogeneous electron-dense material. The results indicate that some cell organelles are sensitive to pressure, and underline the importance of hydrostatie pressure as a physiological-ecological factor in the marine environment.