The basement membrane: substratum of histological order and complexity

Abstract

It has only been since the second great war that we finally are building a solid morphological bridge between the world of the biophysicists, populated in part by giant molecules, and the worlds of the cytologists, histologists, and embryologists where cells are the dominant populations. In previous meetings we have had ample demonstration of the important and often key role of electron microscopy in developing our knowledge of some families of macromolecules. People associated at one time or another with F. O. Schmitt at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology particularly have advanced macromolecular knowledge in studying collagen, muscle, myelin, and the cell surface.

Aided in part by grants from the United States Public Health Service.

The author wishes to acknowledge that he is indebted to several graduate students and visiting investigators who have worked with him in producing some of the results discussed in this article.