MICROVASCULAR ARCHITECTURE OF THE FILIFORM PAPILLAE IN PRIMATES AND INSECTIVORES

The microvascular architecture of filiform papillae was investigated u nder a scanning electron microscope in man, Japanese monkeys, common s quirrel monkeys, common marmosets, common tree shrews, large Japanese moles and dwarf shrews utilizing microvascular corrosion casts. Filifo rm papillae were circularly arranged in primates, and each of them was supplied by a hairpin capillary loop. These papillae sometimes were a ggregated. The filiform papillae of Japanese monkeys exhibited markedl y locational differences on the lingual dorsum and were supplied by ci rcularly arranged capillary loops or by an intrapapillary capillary ne twork. Small filiform papillae were located on an epithelial eminence in the lingual radix, each of them supplied by a low and simple hairpi n capillary loop. The aggregated filiform papillae of common squirrel monkeys were less frequent without any locational differences. Low fil iform papillae of common marmosets and tree shrews were simpler in for m, being arranged in a circle and supplied by a simple hairpin capilla ry loop. The filiform papillae of insectivores were not arranged in a circle. The filiform papillae of dwarf shrews were supplied by an inco mplete capillary ring without a loop. With respect to species differen ces, the circularly arranged capillary loops in man were most complica ted and highly developed. Microvascular architecture of the filiform p apillae of insectivores was much simpler, different from those observe d in primates.