The Development of the Phagocytic Activity of the Reticulo-endothelial System in the Chick

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Abstract
The embryonic development of the ability of some cells to undertake ex-tensive phagocytosis has been studied in the chick embryo using the particulate materials ‘Thorotrast’ and colloidal silver (Ag110). Extensive phagocytosis of Thorotrast particles by the embryo chick and the young chicken takes place in the liver and spleen and to some extent in the lung, bone-marrow, and areolar connective tissue of the mesenteries and body-wall, uptake in the latter being more evident in cases of larger doses. In addition, the embryo chick takes up Thorotrast in the mesodermal part of the yolk-sac wall. In the embryo chick rapid and extensive uptake of particulate matter does not occur until the main centres of the reticulo-endothelial system have been differentiated. Particles taken up by the yolk-sac wall of the embryo chick disappear after hatching. The exact mechanism involved has not yet been established.