AN ELECTRON MICROSCOPE STUDY OF PERFUSION-FIXED SPLEEN .2. NURSE CELLS AND ERYTHROPHAGOCYTOSIS

The observation of macrophages which can act either as scavenger cells or as nurse cells leads to the conclusion that the factors responsible for the release of young erythrocytes or for the destruction of old erythrocytes lie with the red blood cells themselves rather than with the macrophages. An electron microscope study of the various stages of erythropoiesis and erythrophagocytosis, considered in the light of certain physical-chemical concepts, suggests the possibility that the various patterns of interaction of macrophages with erythroblasts, immature and mature erythrocytes, are due to variations in the zeta potentials of the blood cells. © 1969 Springer-Verlag.