Scanning electron microscopy of the vitreous body in the rat eye

Summary The vitreous body of the rat eye was studied by scanning electron microscopy. The freeze-dried specimens were either unfixed, freshly frozen or fixed and rinsed before being frozen.The vitreous body is surrounded by a coat of intercellular material covering a thin sheath of chiefly parallel fibers. The latter forms the base for a regularly organized three-dimensional network of fibers. The interfibrillar spaces are filled with ground substance and also contain a few cells. The shape of the cells varies from bipolar to polyhedronal. Their interconnected processes are usually undivided. The functional importance of this complex regular organization of the fibers and cells in the vitreous body is stressed.Supported by grants from H. Jeanssons Stiftelse and the Swedish Medical Research Council (B70-12X-2534-02).I would like to thank the Swedish Silicate Research Institute, Göteborg, for using their scanning electron microscope and Miss M. Persson for skilful technical assistance.