Studies of human and tunicate cellulose and of their relation to reticulin

Abstract

The cellulose-containing fibres which have been reported as normal constituents of mam­malian dermis, have been compared with the other example of animal cellulose—tunicin—and deductions made concerning the possible evolutionary significance of these observations, especially in relation to the phylogenetic development of reticulin. The genetical significance of their incidence in ageing aortic tissue and in pathological con­ditions of the dermis has been studied and further evidence obtained on the basis of which it is possible to correlate their formation bothin vivoandin vitrowith the degradation of con­nective tissue proteins.