１０例小鼠胎肝组织电镜观察，发现约半数的红母细胞被肝细胞所包绕，肝细胞胞浆呈星形，二者膜间仅为狭小间隙，并可见散在的密切接触点。此外，部分见肝细胞胞浆内质网高度扩张，似与肝红母间隙连通。这提示肝细胞有孵育红母细胞的作用。 Electron microscopic observation of fetal liver tissue in 10 mice showed that about half of the red blood cells were surrounded by hepatocytes and the cytoplasm of the hepatocytes was star-shaped. The two membranes only had small gaps and showed close contact points scattered. In addition, part of the cytoplasmic endoplasmic reticulum of the liver cells is highly expanded and seems to be in communication with the hepatic motoneurons. This suggests that hepatocytes have the function of incubating the red blood cells.