Thinking about dendritic cells, in general, which participate in innate immunity as I have done recently because of my efforts to put a “name” on the protein responsible for the layered RER granules in some alveolar type II cells. I have searched the micrographs of many tissues which I have examined over 40 years, and the widespread similarities in morphology, one cell to the next – because of similar mechanisms for producing – importing – exporting – secreting – excreting -recycling – removing  – transferring – deleting – various “products” as granules – proteins – factors – hormones – etc, are pretty interesting.  In particular, such varied products come from such uniform mechanisms of production. Case in point — the microvillar cell of the olfactory epithelium (which I happen to think is a dendritic cell with functions related to innate immunity) has RER which in someways is a dead ringer for the RER of the alveolar type II cell in some of my guinea pig micrographs with RER granules that appear to be overproducing some protein — likely a surfactant protein, either A or D.  See below…. Only by the presence of a lamellar body can these two cell types be distinguished… in particular  RER profiles can often be amazingly similar (OR — alternatively are the protein products amazingly similar – maybe both are c type lectins).  IF YOU FIND THE LAMELLAR BODY you will know which is which… LOL — I’ll never tell.

It is my hope that at some point the protein being secreted by the microvillar cell of the olfactory epithelium is a c-type lectin just like at some point the protein in my guinea pig type II cells will be determined to be surfactant protein A or D or both.  I did hunt vigorously for any layering and periodicity in the former, but did not find any in my images, but found literally thousands of examples in the type II cells (see previous posts).