[Light- and electronmicroscopic investigations of the development of the stria vascularis in the ductus cochlearis of the guinea pig fetus].

Our studies on exactly dated guinea pig fetuses show: Already in early stages of development (37th day), in the anlage of the vascular stria vesicular invaginations of the apical plasmalemma of epithelial cells are noted and regarded as a sign of an exchange of substances between epithelial cells and the endolymph. As to the direction of substance transport, the morphological finding allows no decision. From the 42nd to the 44th day of development, the subepithelial basal lamina becomes progressively indistinct. From the 45th day onward, the basal lamina is not yet demonstrable. The largest part of the chromophobe cells of the vascular stria derives from the mesenchyme. The question, whether some of the chromophobe cells are of epithelial origin, as some authors propose, will hopefully be clarified in further studies.