The Connective Tissue Sheath of the Locust Nervous System: A Histochemical Study
The connective tissue sheath surrounding the nervous system of Locusta migratoria has been studied histochemically. It consists of an outer non-cellular layer, the neural lamella, and an inner layer of cells, the sheath-cells. The neural lamella has been identified as being composed of a collagen-type protein and neutral mucopolysaccharide on the evidence of its histochemical reactions and the identification of hydroxyproline by paper chromatography in a hydrolysate of the neural lamella. The sheath-cells possess large numbers of lipochondria composed of phospholipids and cerebrosides, and small spherical mitochondria. The cytoplasm also contains lipids (some of which may be cerebrosides), glycogen, and RNA.