Corpora amylacea (CA) (from the Latin meaning "starch-like bodies") is a general term for small

hyaline A hyaline substance is one with a glassy appearance. The word is derived from , and . Histopathology Hyaline cartilage is named after its glassy appearance on fresh gross pathology. On light microscopy of H&E stained slides, the extracellula ...

masses found in the

prostate gland The prostate is an male accessory gland, accessory gland of the male reproductive system and a muscle-driven mechanical switch between urination and ejaculation. It is found in all male mammals. It differs between species anatomically, chemica ...

nervous system In biology, the nervous system is the complex system, highly complex part of an animal that coordinates its behavior, actions and sense, sensory information by transmitting action potential, signals to and from different parts of its body. Th ...

lung The lungs are the primary Organ (biology), organs of the respiratory system in many animals, including humans. In mammals and most other tetrapods, two lungs are located near the Vertebral column, backbone on either side of the heart. Their ...

, and sometimes in other organs of the body. Corpora amylacea increase in number and size with advancing age, although this increase varies from person to person. In the nervous system, they are particularly abundant in certain

neurodegenerative disease A neurodegenerative disease is caused by the progressive loss of neurons, in the process known as neurodegeneration. Neuronal damage may also ultimately result in their death. Neurodegenerative diseases include amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, mul ...

s. While their significance is largely unknown, some researchers have suggested that corpora amylacea play a role in the clearance of debris. The composition and appearance of corpora amylacea can differ in different organs. In the prostate gland, where they are also known as prostatic concretions, corpora amylacea are rich in aggregated

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residue (biochemistry), residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including Enzyme catalysis, catalysing metab ...

that has many of the features of

amyloid Amyloids are aggregates of proteins characterised by a fibrillar morphology of typically 7–13 nm in diameter, a β-sheet secondary structure (known as cross-β) and ability to be stained by particular dyes, such as Congo red. In the human ...

, whereas those in the

central nervous system The central nervous system (CNS) is the part of the nervous system consisting primarily of the brain, spinal cord and retina. The CNS is so named because the brain integrates the received information and coordinates and influences the activity o ...

are generally smaller and do not contain amyloid. Corpora amylacea in the central nervous system occur in the foot processes of

astrocytes Astrocytes (from Ancient Greek , , "star" and , , "cavity", "cell"), also known collectively as astroglia, are characteristic star-shaped glial cells in the brain and spinal cord. They perform many functions, including biochemical control of end ...

, and they are usually present beneath the

pia mater Pia mater ( or ),Entry "pia mater"
in
ventricles, and around blood vessels. They have been proposed to be part of a family of polyglucosan diseases, in which polymers of glucose collect to form abnormal structures known as polyglucosan bodies. Polyglucosan bodies bearing at least partial resemblance to human corpora amylacea have been observed in various nonhuman species. File:Natural luminescence of corpora amylacea of prostate.jpg, Natural luminescence of corpora amylacea in the lumen of the prostate in ultraviolet light File:Histology of a multilayered corpus amylaceous of the prostate.jpg, Histology of a multilayered corpus amylaceous of the prostate.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Corpora Amylacea Anatomy Prostate Brain