NUCLEAR FIBROUS LAMINA IN HUMAN CELLS - STUDIES ON ITS APPEARANCE AND DISTRIBUTION

The nuclear fibrous lamina, a structure of unknown function, is situated at the nuclear periphery directly apposed to the inner nuclear membrane. Although it was well described in invertebrate and many non-human vertebrate cells, its occurrence in human tissue was not emphasized. A survey of a large variety of human cells documented the lamina to be present, although of varying thickness, in a large number of cell types. It is consistently thickest in mesenchymal or mesenchymally derived cells and its appearance and thickness is not correlated with pathologic alterations.