ULTRASTRUCTURE OF PHAGOCYTIC-CELLS IN THE SPLEEN OF PSAMMOPHIS SIBILANS (SERPENTES-COLUBRIDAE)

The spleen of Psammophis sibilans is composed mainly of red pulp, the white pulp being poorly developed. The white pulp lymphoid clusters ar e scattered throughout the organ and contain lymphocytes, reticular ce lls, and some plasma cells. The red pulp consists of reticular cells i ntermingled with blood cells, sinusoids, and melanomacrophage centers (MMCs). Filtering of particulate matter from the blood occurs in the r ed pulp by phagocytes of the pulp cord. MMCs are formed by the associa tion of free macrophages that have phagocytosed some blood cells. Earl y filtering of particulate matter by the phagocytes of the pulp cords may allow for more efficient phagocytosis of erythrocytes by the MMCs. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.