Abstract
Summary
Purified elastic material from fish swim bladder was fragmented and observed under the electron microscope. Elastic fibers were digested with unfiltered trypsin and also with trypsin sterilized by filtering through a Seitz microfilter. When digestion is not done under absolutely sterile conditions, “fine threads” described by Gross(2) as a component of the elastic tissue are observed.
If digestion is performed under complete sterile conditions no threads appear, and only partially digested elastic fibers can be found. Incubation of trypsin alone also shows the presence of threads when sterilization is not used and their absence in sterile conditions. The conclusion is reached that the threads described as a component of elastic tissue(2) belong to material digested from bacteria and probably from bacterial flagella.
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