A textbook of human physiology / translated from [the] 6th German edition by W. Stirling.

  • Landois, Leonard
Date:
1888
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A textbook of human physiology / translated from [the] 6th German edition by W. Stirling. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

    67/980 page 15
    The amoeboid movements of the white corpuscles (so called because they resemble the movements of amceba) consist in an alternate contraction and relaxation of the protoplasm surrounding the nucleus. Processes are given otf from the surface, and are retracted again. There is an intermd nirrent in the protopla.sni, and the nucleus has also been observed to change its form [and exhibit contractions without the corpuscle dividing. The r.:^ karyokinetic aster, and convolution of the 0^ .r^^X intranuclear plexus have been seen]. Two ^ series of phenomena result from these IJ i'/^ movements:—(1) The ''wandering or f^^ - locomotion of the corpuscles due to the extension and retraction of their processes; n (2) the absorption of small particles into ^^-^ ^ their interior (fat, pigment, foreign bodies). The particles adhere to the sticky exter- ^—^^f^ nal surface, are carried into the interior tM^f=) by the internal currents, and may eventu J^^^'^ ally be excreted, just as particles are taken ^p:::^ <^'J>'^ up by amccba and the etfete particles ciP excreted. [Max Schultze observed that Tig. 11. coloured particles were readily taken up by Human leucocytes sliowing amceboid these corpuscles. Conditions for move- movements, ment.—In order that the ama'boid movements of the leucocytes may take place, it is necessary that there be—(1) a certain temperature and normal atmospheric pressure ; (2) the surrounding medium, within certain limits, must be indifferent, and contain a sufficient amount of water and oxygen ; (3) there must be a basis or support to move on.] Struggle between Microbes and the Organism.—^Ictsilniikof!' emphasises the activity of the leucocytes in retrogressive iirocesses, whereby the parts to be removed are taken up by them in fine granules, and, as it were, are eaten. Hence, he calls such cells phagocytes. They may be found in the atrophied tails of batraehians, the cells containing in their interior whole pieces of nerve-iibre and primitive nuiscular bundles. Scliizomyeetes which have found their way into the blood 183) liave been found to be partly taken up by tiie colourless corpuscles. [The spores of a kind of yeast are similarly attacked in the transjiarent tissues of the water- tlea by the leucocytes, and the connective-tissue cells also destroy microbes.] Effect of Reagents.—On a hot stage (35°-40° C.) the colourless corpuscles of warm-blooded animals retain their movements for a long time ; at 40° C. for two to three hours; at 50 C. the [troteids are coagulated and cause heat rigor and death, [when their movements no longer recur on lowering the temperature]. In cold-blooded animals (frogs), colourless corpuscles may be seen to crawl out of small coagula, in a moist chamber, and move about in the serum. [Draw a drop of newt's blood into a capillary tube, seal up the ends of the latter and allow the blood to coagulate. After a time, examine the tube in clove oil, when some of the colovtrless corpuscles will be found to have made their way out of the clot.] Induction shocks cause them to withdraw their processes and become spherical, and, if the shocks be not too strong, their movements recommence. .Strong and continued shocks kill them, causing them to swell up, and completely disintegrating them. Diapedesis.—These amoeboid movements are of special interest on account of the wandering out (diapedesis) of colourless blood-corpuscles through the walls of the blood-vessels (§ 95). [Eflfect of Drugs.—Acids and alkalies, if very dilute, at first increase, but afterwards arrest their movcmeuts. Sodic chloride in a 1 per cent, solution at first accelerates their movements, but afterwards jtroduces a tetanic contraction, and, it may be, expulsion of any food particles they contain. The Cinchona alkaloids—quinine, quinidine, cinchonidine (1 : 1500)—quickly
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