* Ultrastructure of epididymal epithelium and its interaction with the sperm in the soft-shelled turtle Pelodiscus sinensis.
- The epididymis of the soft-shelled turtle Pelodiscus sinensis was examined under light and transmission electron microscopes to determine the morphological characteristics, as well as their changes at different phases of the seasonal reproductive cycle. Three distinct regions, viz., cranial, middle and caudal were identified in the epididymis based on anatomical characteristics. The epididymal epithelium consists of five different cell types: principal, narrow, apical, clear and basal cells. Principal cells, which are the most abundant, together with basal cells are present along the entire length. Ultrastructural evidence suggests that all of the principal cells in each of the regions function in both absorption and secretion. Narrow cells and apical cells are rare and only confined to the cranial region. The clear cells, for the first time reported in the turtle epididymis, are confined to middle and caudal regions; these cells showed strong PAS-positive granulation in apical position, and secretory activity by a holocrine process, especially in the middle region. There was a significant difference in the epithelium height of all the regions between the reproductive season and the non-reproductive season. Sperm are stored in the epididymis throughout the year. Apart from the mature spermatozoa, immature spermatozoa with normal morphology are also observed. Under TEM, the immature spermatozoa showed a large amount of cytoplasm located eccentrically on the midpiece wrapped by plasma membrane, with some cytoplasm extended to the posterior of the head. Furthermore, the interactions of sperm with the epididymal epithelium were observed. Some sperm are associated with the secretory material in the lumen; other sperm are inserted into the intercellular space between the epithelial cells.
Overview of verb observe
The verb observe has 9 senses (first 8 from tagged texts)
1. (39) detect, observe, find, discover, notice -- (discover or determine the existence, presence,
or fact of; "She detected high levels of lead in her drinking water"; "We found traces of lead in
the paint")
2. (17) note, observe, mention, remark -- (make mention of; "She observed that his presentation took
up too much time"; "They noted that it was a fine day to go sailing")
3. (12) note, take note, observe -- (observe with care or pay close attention to; "Take note of this
chemical reaction")
4. (10) observe -- (watch attentively; "Please observe the reaction of these two chemicals")
5. (4) respect, honor, honour, abide by, observe -- (show respect towards; "honor your parents!")
6. (3) observe, celebrate, keep -- (behave as expected during of holidays or rites; "Keep the
commandments"; "celebrate Christmas"; "Observe Yom Kippur")
7. (2) watch, observe, follow, watch over, keep an eye on -- (follow with the eyes or the mind;
"Keep an eye on the baby, please!"; "The world is watching Sarajevo"; "She followed the men with the
binoculars")
8. (1) observe, keep, maintain -- (stick to correctly or closely; "The pianist kept time with the
metronome"; "keep count"; "I cannot keep track of all my employees")
9. observe, keep -- (conform one's action or practice to; "keep appointments"; "she never keeps her
promises"; "We kept to the original conditions of the contract")
Overview of adj observed
The adj observed has 1 sense (first 1 from tagged texts)
1. (7) ascertained, discovered, observed -- (discovered or determined by scientific observation;
"variation in the ascertained flux depends on a number of factors"; "the discovered behavior norms";
"discovered differences in achievement"; "no explanation for the observed phenomena")
--- WordNet end ---