COMPARATIVE HISTOLOGICAL STUDY ON THE GLANDS OF SKIN IN BUFFALO AND COW

Abstract

This study was done to compare between the skin of buffaloes and cows.
Six samples from different regions of the body were collected from local
abattoirs in Baghdad. The skin specimens were fixed in formalin solution.
Routine histological techniques were carried out on these samples. For staining,
hematoxylin and eosin stains were used then samples were examined under light
microscope. Even the excretory ducts of sweat glands in both cows and
buffaloes were stratified cuboidal epithelium, the sweat glands in buffaloes
were poorly developed, less numerous, smaller in size and lies deeply in the
dermis with longer duct comparing to that of the cows. Their secretory acini
were surrounded by fewer number of myoepithelial cells. The apocrine sweat
glands were distributed all over the body regions while the merocrine sweat
glands were distributed in limited body regions. On the other hand, the
sebaceous glands of buffaloes were well developed and appeared as larger in
size and more lobulated comparing to the cows. The above thoughts explain
why the buffaloes considered as poor thermoregulator animals. In regard to the
mechanism of thermoregulation, the present study concluded that there was a
reverse relationship between the function of sebaceous and sweat glands.