Pigments-Spinal Ganglion Cells

Pigments have their own color attributes, and this makes them visible in tissues without staining. Pigments are either biosynthesize d by the cells from unpigmented precursors (endogenous pigments: porphyrins, iron pig-ments, melanin, lipofuscin), or they are exogenous substances that have been engulfed and stored by certain cells ( exogenous pigments: carbon dust, vitamin A, lipochromes ). Hemoglobin is the most important endogenous pigment. Hemosiderin , its degradation product, is a pigment inclusion in some cells.  Both ganglion cells in this figure contain accumulations of yellow-brown small lipofuscin granules 2 in the vicinity of their nuclei. Lipofuscin particles are of ten called age or wear-and-tear pigments. As residual bodies, they are derived from lysosomes (telolysosomes).

1 Pigments

2 Nucleus from a ganglion cell with nucleolus

3 Nuclei in satellite cells

References

Kuehnel, W.(2003). Color Atlas of Cytology, Histology, and Microscopic Anatomy. 4^th edition . Institute of Anatomy Universitätzu Luebeck Luebeck, Germany . Thieme Stuttgar t · New York .