Fig. 9. Histology of the liver. (A) Digesting snake (2 days after feeding)
Methacrylate-embedded section of the liver; Methylene Blue/Thionine stain.
Scale bar, 50 µm. Note the many lipid droplets (stars) in the hepatocytes.
(B) Digesting snake, low-power electron micrograph of hepatocytes loaded with
lipid droplets and glycogen deposits. Scale bar, 4 µm. Arrows, glycogen
deposits; stars k, lipid droplet. (C) Fasting snake. Methacrylate-embedded
section of the liver; Methylene Blue/Thionine stain. Scale bar, 50 µm. (D)
Fasting snake, low-power electron micrograph of hepatocytes. Note that no
lipid droplets can be seen in the hepatocytes and that glycogen deposits are
depleted. Scale bar, 4 µm. Arrows, glycogen deposits; star, lipid droplet.
(E) The liver from a group 3 snake (fed once a week). Methacrylate-embedded
section of the liver; Methylene Blue/Thionine stain. Scale bar, 50 µm.
Star, lipid droplet. (F) Low-power electron micrograph of hepatocytes from a
group 3 snake. Histology is intermediate and some lipid droplets can be seen
in the hepatocytes together with glycogen deposits. Scale bar, 4 µm;
arrows, glycogen deposits; star, lipid droplet.
