List of abbreviations		 Vocabulary
of micros-
copic
anatomy
specialist terms
explained in
English +
German

Every attempt was made to provide correct information and labelling, however any liability for eventual errors or incompleteness is rejected!
dieser Seite

Editor:
Dr. med.
H. Jastrow
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Overview multivesicular body (MVB; Corpusculum multivesiculare):
Pages with explanations are linked to the text below the images if available
multivesicular bodies
stereo image (hair-cell, rat)		 MVB of an
inner hair cell (rat)		 MVB with dark
matrix (rat)		 2 MVB of an
inner hair cell (rat)		 MVB in the cytoplasm
of a glial cell (rat)
MVB + multilammellar
bodies of a pneumocyte (rat)		 Detail thereof
pneumocyte type 2		 MVB with a very
dark matrix (rat)		 MVB of a rat heart
muscel cell		 Overview thereof
Multivesicular bodies (MVB; Terminologia histologica: Corpuscula multivesiculares) are round to oval cell organelles containing more or less smaller vesicles.
MVB belong to the secondary lysosomes and contain acid phosphatases.
When sectioned MVB have mean diameters of 200 - 500 nm and usually an electron-lucent matrix.
MVB are limited by a double-membrane, as are their vesicles that have diameters of 40 to 150 nm.
MVB are rare cell organelles; some may be encountered in the apical part of inner hair cells and endothelial cells. Few may be seen in heart muscle cells or glial cells.
In alveolar epithelial cells (= pnemocytes) of type 2 many MVB appear as precursors of multilammellar bodies.
MVB derive from microautophagy from primary or secondary lysosomes. Thereby the sialin acid rich membrane glycoprotein LAMP-2 binds to complexes of cytoplasmatic Ubiquitin with abnormal or denatured proteins causing the lysosomal membrane to infold and form vesicles into the interior.

--> primary-, secondary-, tertiary lysosomes, multilammellar bodies, cytoplasm, endocytosis
--> Electron microscopic atlas Overview
--> Homepage of the workshop

Two of the pictures were kindly provided by Dr. E. Schiller; other images, page & copyright H. Jastrow.