Electron microscopic study of the origin and formation of Reissner's fiber in the subcommissural organ of Cebus apella (Primates, Platyrrhini).

Two kinds of secretion are formed in cells of the subcommissural organ (SCO) of Cebus apella. The "light secretion" is found in saccules originating from the endoplasmic reticulum. This secretion is stored in the peripheral portion of the cells and is not involved in formation of Reissner's fiber (RF). In close association with the Golgi complex, electron-dense granules are developed, containing a finely granular substance. These granules accumulate beneath the apical plasmalemma of the cell. Their content is discharged into the third ventricle, where it occurs in the form of a thin layer of secretion. This material appears to constitute the RF at the level of the entrance to the mesencephalic aqueduct.