HISTOLOGY AND HISTOCHEMISTRY OF THE PINEAL ORGAN IN THE SOCKEYE SALMON, ONCORHYNCHUS NERKA WALBAUM

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Abstract
The morphohistology and some histochemical aspects of the pineal organ in the sockeye salmon were studied. The distal part of the organ lies in a pineal fossa in the cranial roof. Photosensory cells and two kinds of ependymal supporting cells are present throughout its epithelium, which is entirely devoid of either melanin or lipofuchsin. Besides sensory nerve fibers, efferent end-loops are present on the photosensory as well as the supporting cells. The dorsal pineal nerve tract probably contains both sensory and efferent fibers. The apocrine secretion of sensory as well as some supporting cells is probably associated with either the maintenance of a constant chemical composition of the cerebrospinal fluid or with supply of certain chemical substances to the brain tissue. The secretion in the pineal and the subcommissural organ consists of glycogen, mucopolysaccharides, mucoproteins, and aldehyde fuchsin positive granules.It is proposed that the pineal organ is photosensory as well as secretory and that its photosensitivity might be of some significance in the light-dependent behavior of this species in terms of intensity detection.