DIRECT EVIDENCE OF FUNCTION IN KIDNEY OF AN EARLY HUMAN FETUS

Abstract
Fragments of kidney from a 31/2 mo. human embryo were grown in tissue culture with phenol red (phenol sulphon phthalein) and Orange G (C. I. no. 27). The cut ends of the tubules healed over and the closed proximal segments became distended with the accumulated dye. The yellow color of the phenol red in these segments indicated a pH of the proximal tubular fluid of 7.0 or less. This pH was maintained even when the cultures were exposed to air unlike the condition in the chick where the pH readily reacts to variations in CO2 tension.

This publication has 3 references indexed in Scilit: