A Histological Comparison of the Dorsal and Generalized Holocrine Skin Glands in the Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys Ordii
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Date
1983-12
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Abstract
Skin tissue from 11 adult kangaroo rats, Dipodomys ordii richardsoni, including both sexes was examined histologically for morphological differences between the specialized dorsal holocrine sebaceous gland region and the generalized small sebaceous glands of the skin. The author examined the structure and distribution of the unmodified sebaceous glands throughout the skin and compared them to the modified dorsal sebaceous gland. Based on a volumetric comparison, the dorsal gland is significantly different from the generally distributed sebaceous glands. A possible explanation is that the relatively consistent distribution of sebaceous glands functions in pelage maintenance and the sebaceous flow from the distinctive dorsal gland could function in individual scent communication. It is evident that the alveolar volume of the dorsal gland differs from that of the generally distributed glands of D. ordii.
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Author Institution: Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University
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The Ohio Journal of Science. v83, n5 (December, 1983), 253-255