Electron microscopic study of the development of the mouse corneal epithelium.

This study presents the development of the corneal epithelium of the mouse in chronological sequence covering the early prenatal, late prenatal, and postnatal periods, until the time of the disappearance of lid adhesion. The work is based on electron microscopic study of the corneal epithelium at daily intervals from the eleventh day of gestation to the seventh postnatal day, as well as the tenth, thirteenth, and fourteenth postnatal days. Comparison between the development of corneal epithelium of the mouse and that of domestic fowl, the significance of maturation and distribution of cellular junctions and hemidesmosomes, and changes in glycogen in the epithelial development are discussed.