Golgi apparatus and mitochondria of human amniotic epithelial cells

Abstract

It was long ago reported that human amniotic epithelial cells consisted of two morphologically different cells: one had more abundant Golgi apparatus and mitochondria with more lucent cytoplasm, while the other had sparse intracytoplasmic organelles with darker cytoplasm. We semiquantitatively analysed the number of Golgi apparatus and mitochondria of the human amniotic epithelial cells, employing cytochrome c oxidase enzymehistochemistry as the marker for mitochondria. In the specimens fixed in glutaraldehyde solution, two types of cells with differing degrees of cytoplasmic darkness were observed. However, the number of Golgi apparatus and mitochondria was not different between these two cell types. The biological significance of differing degrees of cytoplasmic darkness seen in the chemically-fixed amniotic epithelial cells may deserve further study.