Abstract: Ultra - stucture changes of autolysis of hepatocyte werestudied using transmission electron microscope(TEM). It wasfound that autolysis Started 0. 5 hour after death, with theheterochromatin of nuclei shrinking abnormally and smooth endoplasmic reticulum expanding. The changes developed todistinction after 1h, and progressed continuously after 2h,3h, 4h and 5h. It was found that (1) the mitochondria wereswelling, its matrix density decreasing and flocculent densebodies (FDB) emerging; (2) the rough endoplasmic reticulum and perinuclear cistern were expanding. It was suggestedthat ultra - structure changes of the autolysis be correlated tothe postmortem time.

Key words: hepatocyte, dutolysis, ultra-structure changes