The Degradation of the Photoreceptor Outer Segment within the Pigment Epithelial Cell of Rat Retina*

With the particular attention to the small dense granules and multilamellated bodies, the pigment epithelial cell of rat retina was studied with electron microscopical histochemical procedures to demon-strate the acid phosphatase activity. The enzyme activity sharply localized on the Golgi complex, small dense granules and multilamellated bodies. The findings suggest that the pigment epithelial cell of rat retina plays an active role in the intracellular degradation of engulfed outer segments removed from its apex