Orbital gland structure and secretions in the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)
| Autor: | Raymond J. Tarpley, Sam H. Ridgway |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2018 |
| Předmět: |
Pathology
medicine.medical_specialty Exocrine gland biology Fornix Cetacea Anatomy Bottlenose dolphin biology.organism_classification eye diseases law.invention Alveolar cells medicine.anatomical_structure law medicine Ultrastructure Animal Science and Zoology sense organs Electron microscope Duct (anatomy) Developmental Biology |
| Zdroj: | Journal of morphology. 207(2) |
| ISSN: | 1097-4687 |
| Popis: | Orbital gland structure of the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, was examined at the macroscopic, light microscopic, and electron microscopic levels. The gland completely encircles the ocular globe in a belt-like fashion near the conjunctival fornix but is considerably more developed medially. Duct openings are scattered throughout the fornix and over the surface of the palpebral conjunctiva. Microscopically, the gland has a tubuloalveolar arrangement; alveolar cells contain numerous secretory vesicles which can be interpreted as two structural types by light and electron microscopy. Histochemical staining demonstrates that both types contain glycosaminoglycans. Lipid analysis of the glandular secretion (dolphin tears) shows them to be non-oily and to contain only negligible amounts of cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids, and free fatty acids. The secretion is clear, slippery, and viscoelastic and well-adapted to protecting the eye and to reducing frictional forces between the eye surface and surrounding seawater. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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