Electron Microscopic Studies of the Anterior Pituitary Gland of Castrate Rats¹

Many features of the cytology of the anterior pituitary gland, its reactions to physiological stimulation and removal of other endocrines, remain obscure in spite of the extensive research that has been carried out on the subject during the past seventy years. Progress in such a field of study often awaits the advent of new techniques. With a greater understanding of the chemistiy of pituitary hormones it has become possible, at least in a limited way, to apply histochemical methods to aid in identification of the cell source of a given hormone. Quite recently, the application of electron microscopy to histologic and cytologic investigation has opened a new field for study. The remarkable structural detail that can be seen in electron micrographs offers much promise in histologic research. Fernández-Morán and Luft (1949) recorded the first electron microscopic observations on the pituitary gland.