An asteroid body is a microscopic finding seen within the giant cells of granulomas in diseases such as sarcoidosis and foreign-body giant cell reactions.[1]
There is controversy about their composition. Traditionally, they were thought to be cytoskeletal elements and to consist primarily of vimentin.[2] However, more recent research suggested that that was incorrect and that they may be composed of lipids arranged into bilayer membranes.[3]
They were also once thought to be related to centrioles,[4] an organelle involved in cell division in eukaryotes.
See also[edit]
Additional images[edit]
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Micrograph of asteroid bodies in pulmonary sarcoidosis. H&E stain. -
Micrograph of asteroid bodies in pulmonary sarcoidosis. H&E stain. -
Asteroid body in sarcoidosis.
References[edit]
- ^ Cain, H; Kraus, B (Dec 1977). "Asteroid bodies: derivatives of the cytosphere. An electron microscopic contribution to the pathology of the cytocentre". Virchows Archiv B. 26 (2): 119–32. doi:10.1007/BF02889541. PMID 204105. S2CID 104329698.
- ^ Cain, H; Kraus, B (1983). "Immunofluorescence microscopic demonstration of vimentin filaments in asteroid bodies of sarcoidosis. A comparison with electron microscopic findings". Virchows Archiv B. 42 (2): 213–26. doi:10.1007/BF02890384. PMID 6133393. S2CID 40233107.
- ^ Papadimitriou, JC; Drachenberg, CB (1992). "Ultrastructural analysis of asteroid bodies: Evidence for membrane lipid bilayer nature of components". Ultrastruct Pathol. 16 (4): 413–421. doi:10.3109/01913129209057826. PMID 1323892.
- ^ Kirkpatrick, CJ; Curry, A; Bisset, DL (1988). "Light- and electron-microscopic studies on multinucleated giant cells in sarcoid granuloma: new aspects of asteroid and Schaumann bodies". Ultrastruct Pathol. 12 (6): 581–97. doi:10.3109/01913128809056483. PMID 2853474.
Well, that’s interesting to know that Psilotum nudum are known as whisk ferns. Psilotum nudum is the commoner species of the two. While the P. flaccidum is a rare species and is found in the tropical islands. Both the species are usually epiphytic in habit and grow upon tree ferns. These species may also be terrestrial and grow in humus or in the crevices of the rocks.
View the detailed Guide of Psilotum nudum: Detailed Study Of Psilotum Nudum (Whisk Fern), Classification, Anatomy, Reproduction