The fine structure of the oxytalan fiber.

Maraglas-embedded sections of periodontal membranes around continually growing incisors of Sprague-Dawley rats fixed consecutively in cold glutaraldehyde and Palade's 1 % buffered osmium tetroxide were examined under the electron microscope for oxytalan connective tissue fibers. Oxytalan fibers were noted to consist of bundles of filaments approximately 150 A in diameter with an interfilamentous amorphous substance of approximately the same diameter. A periodicity of fibrillar elements was not obvious.