Summary
The fine structure and the organization of muscle and connective tissue in the middle portion of the chicken gizzard (muscular stomach) has been studied by light and electron microscopy. The musculature is divided into long, well-defined bundles arranged circularly and concentrically and extending between the two tendons (tendinous aponeurosis). The muscle bundles are inserted onto the inner sufface of the tendon at an angle of about 45°. In addition to muscle cells (which are ultrastructurally similar to those of the small intestine) the musculature contains fibroblasts and interstitial cells and a small number of nerve bundles and capillaries. The gizzard tendons are very compact, made of parallel fascicles of collagen fibrils with interposed stellate tendon cells; ultrastructurally they are very similar to the tendon of skeletal muscles of this and other species. Their collagen fibrils range in size from 30 to 160 nm. The muscle cells that approach the tendon develop longitudinal invaginations of the cell membrane and then break into finger-like terminal processes heavily encrusted with dense bands. The membrane of the invaginations and the terminal processes are surrounded by a basal lamina material which embeds a conspicuous web of small collagen fibrils. The boundary between tendon and muscle is sharp, without interpenetration of the two tissues. A novel type of cell is found at the interface of muscle and tendon (junctional cells), filled with intermediate filaments and some rough endoplsmic reticulum and displaying a trace of a basal lamina.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bárány M, Bárány K, Gaetjens E, Bailin G (1965) Chicken gizzard myosin. Arch Biochem Biophys 113:205–221
Bennett T, Cobb JLS (1969) Studies on the avian gizzard: morphology and innervation of the smooth muscle. Cell tissue Res 96:173–185
Blessing MH, Muller G (1974) Myoglobin concentration in the chicken, especially in the gizzard (a biochemical, light and electron microscopic study). Comp Biochem Physiol 47A:530–540
Burridge K, Connell L (1983) A new protein of adhesion plaques and ruffling membranes. J Cell Biol 50:271–279
Choi JK (1962) Fine structure of the smooth muscle of the chicken gizzard. 5th Int Congr Electron Microsc, Philadelphia. M 9. Academic Press, New York
Clara M (1930) Über die Kontinuität des Muskelfibrillen und Sehnenfibrillen. Z mikr-anat Forsch 23:321–334
Cobb JLS, Bennett T (1969) A study of intercellular relationships in developing and mature visceral smooth muscle. Z Zellforsch 100:516–526
Demmel U, Schewe U, Bock P, Gorgas K (1979) Die Feinstruktur der Muskel-Sehnen-und Muskel-Epithelverbindungen in der Zunge des Meerschweinchens. Cytobiology 18:460–477
Drenckhahn D, Jeikowski H (1978) The myotendinous junction of the smooth feather muscles (mm. pennati). Cell Tissue Res 194:151–162
Dyer RF, Enna CD (1976) Ultrastructural features of adult human tendon. Cell Tissue Res 168:247–259
Ebashi S, Iwakura J, Nakajima H, Nakamura R, Ooi Y (1966) New structural protein from dog heart and chicken gizzard. Biochem Zeitschr 345:201–211
Eglitis I, Knouff RA (1962) An histological and histochemical analysis of the inner lining and glandular epithelium of the chicken gizzard. Am J Anat 111:49–66
Fry GN, Devine CE, Burnstock G (1977) Freeze-fracture studies of nexuses between smooth muscle cells. J Cell Biol 72:26–34
Gabella G (1976) Quantitative morphological study of smooth muscle cells of the guinea-pig taenia coli. Cell Tissue Res 170:161–187
Gabella G (1985) Structure of the musculature of the chicken small intestine. Anat Embryol 171:139–149
Geiger B (1979) A 130K protein from chicken gizzard. Its localization at termini of microfilament bundles of cultured chicken cells. Cell 18:193–205
Gelber D, Moore DH, Ruska H (1960) Observations of the myotendinous junction in mammalian skeletal muscle. Z Zellforsch 52:396–400
Granger BL, Lazarides E (1980) Synemin: a new high molecular weight protein associated with desmin and vimentin filaments in muscle. Cell 22:727–738
Greenlee TK Jr, Ross R (1967) The development of the rat flexor digital tendon, a fine structure study. J Ultrastruct Res 18:354–376
Gröschel-Stewart U, Jaroschik U, Schwalm H (1971) Chicken gizzard, a myoglobin containing smooth muscle. Experientia 27:512–513
Gröschel-Stewart U, Ceurremans S, Lehr I, Mahlmeister C, Paar E (1977) Production of specific antibodies to contractile proteins, and their use in immunofluorescence microscopy. Species-specific and species-non-specific antibodies to smooth and striated chicken muscle actin. Histochemistry 50:271–279
Jackson SF (1956) The morphogenesis of avian tendon. Proc Roy Soc B 144:556–572
Kato T (1914) Druckmessungen im Muskelmagen der Vögel. Arch Physiol 159:6–26
Kelly RE, Rice RV (1968) Localisation of myosin filaments in smooth muscle. J Cell Biol 37:105–116
Langley JN (1904) On the sympathetic system of birds, and on the muscles which move the feathers. J Physiol (Lond) 30:221–252
Mair WGP, Tome FMS (1972) The ultrastructure of the adult and developing myotendinous junction. Acta Neuropathol 21:239–252
Nomina Anatomica Avium (1979) JJ Baumel (Ed) Academic Press, London
Nonomura Y (1976) Fine structure of myofilaments in chicken gizzard smooth muscle. In: E Yamada, V Mizuhira, K Kurosumi, T Nagano (ed) Recent progess in electron microscopy of cells and tissues. Georg Thieme, Stuttgart pp 40–48
Rodrigo FG, Lotta-Pereira G, David-Ferrera JF (1975) The fine structure of the elastic tendons in the human arrector pili muscle. Br J Dermatol 93:631–638
Small JV, Sobieszek A (1977) Studies on the function and composition of the 10-nm (100 A) filaments of vertebrate smooth muscle. J Cell Sci 23:243–268
Sobieszek A, Bremel RD (1975) Preparation and properties of vertebrate smooth-muscle myofibrils and actomyosin. Eur J Biochem. 55:49–60
Sobieszek A, Small JV (1976) Myosin-linked calcium regulation in vertebrate smooth muscle. J Mol Biol 102:75–92
Toner PG (1964) The fine structure of gizzard gland cells in the domestic fowl. J Anat (Lond) 98:77–86
Wang K, Ash JF, Singer SJ (1975) Filamin, a new high-molecular-weight protein found in smooth muscle and non-muscle cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 72:4483–4486
Watzka M (1932) Sehnen glatter Muskelfasern. Z mikr-anat Forsch 30:23–28
Ziswiler V, Farner DS (1972) Digestion and the digestive system. In: DS Farner, JR King (ed) Avain biology, vol II. Academic Press, New York London, pp 343–430
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gabella, G. Chicken gizzard. Anat Embryol 171, 151–162 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00341409
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00341409