Mitochondrial variations in the spinal ganglion cells of the slow loris: an electron microscopic study

Abstract

The fine structure of spinal ganglia from seven slow lorises (Nycticebus coucang coucang) was studied following perfusion fixation using different concentrations of glutaraldehyde and post fixation in 1% osmic acid. Two cell types, one light (63%) and the other dark (37%) were reported out of the total number of 425 neurons counted. Almost all the light cells containd filamentous mitochondria, whereas only 35% of the dark cells contained filamentous mitochondria, the other 65% having vacuolated mitochondria. The significance of this mitochondrial variation in the spinal ganglion cells of the slow loris is undecided.