Scanning electron microscopy of the wall of the third ventricle of the brain of Rana temporia. II. Electron microscopy of the ventricular surface of the pars ventralis of the tuber cinereum.

Scanning electrom microscopy of the ventricular surface of the pars ventralis of the tuber cinereum of the frog Rana temporaria shows that it can be divided in (1) a dorsolateral area, characterized by the presence of very numerous large, solid, bulbous protrusions (2) a medial area, where the large bulbous structures are completely absent and which is diffusely covered with very numerous cilia, (3) a transiotional area located between the two other regions. The large bulbs, shown by scanning electron microscopy, correspond with the end-bulbs of thick ventricular dendrites of nerve cells revealed by transmission electron microscopy. At least many of these intra-ventricular bulbs are dendritic endings of peptidergic neurosecretory neurons, which have been tentatively identified as adenohypophysiotropic neuro-hormone producing neurons (Derickx et al., 1972, 1973a, 1973b). The structural features of the dendritic endings plead in favour of a possible receptive role.