THE ULTRASTRUCTURE OF A REPTILIAN MYONEURAL JUNCTION

Myoneural junctions in Anolis are characterized by the formation of troughs in the surface of the muscle fibers in which small branches of the terminal axon lie. The muscle surface membrane lining the troughs is thrown into complex branching and anastomosing folds, which compose the subneural apparatus of Couteaux. A compound membrane 500 to 700 A thick separates axoplasm from sarcoplasm at the endings. This consists of five distinct layers and is described in detail. A thin layer of cytoplasm (probably Schwann) separates terminal axoplasm from extracellular space at the surfaces of the junctional troughs. Terminal axoplasm lacks axoplasmic filaments and contains numerous vesicular or tubular appearing structures about 300 to 500 A in diameter. Both terminal axoplasm and sarcoplasm contain numerous mitochondria.