[Light and electron microscopic studies of oropharyngeal epithelium in Salamandra salamandra (L.) (Urodela: Salamandridae) larvae].

The oropharyngeal-epithelium of intrauterine and free swimming larvae of Salamandra salamandra has been investigated by electron microscopy. With the exception of the toothed areas, where it is multi-layered, the epithelium of intrauterine larvae consists of two cell layers, pavement and basal cells. In older larvae, however, the entire epithelium is multi-layered. The outermost layer contains nonciliated pavement cells, goblet cells and sporadically mitochondria-rich cells. Both, goblet cells and pavement cells synthesize mainly acid mucosubstances, which are localized in big confluent secretory granules in the former and in small granules immediately beneath the apical plasmalemm in the latter. In the second layer different developmental stages of goblet cells and pavement cells can be identified.