Microanatomic structure of cetacean skin in the urogenital region
It was hypothesized that there may be microanatomic specializations in the urogenital slit and mammary region of cetaceans. There may be an integumentary-linked mechanism in these animals similar to that which causes the milk let-down response in terrestrial mammals. This hypothesis was tested on ti...
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1993
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ftvirginiatec:oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/43422 2024-05-19T07:38:00+00:00 Microanatomic structure of cetacean skin in the urogenital region Jones, Flynn Margaret Veterinary Medical Sciences Pfeiffer, Carl J. Larson, Martha M. Smith, Bonnie J. 1993-08-05 xii, 96 leaves BTD application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/10919/43422 http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-06232009-063105/ en eng Virginia Tech OCLC# 29374281 LD5655.V855_1993.J663.pdf etd-06232009-063105 http://hdl.handle.net/10919/43422 http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-06232009-063105/ In Copyright http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ LD5655.V855 1993.J663 Cetacea -- Generative organs -- Histology Skin -- Histology Thesis Text 1993 ftvirginiatec 2024-05-01T00:51:16Z It was hypothesized that there may be microanatomic specializations in the urogenital slit and mammary region of cetaceans. There may be an integumentary-linked mechanism in these animals similar to that which causes the milk let-down response in terrestrial mammals. This hypothesis was tested on tissue samples from fourteen animals collected in a standardized array of fourteen samples from the urogenital area, and one each from the ventral aspect of the flipper and the mid-dorsal body wall for comparison. Using standard histological and ultrastructural procedures, including both transmission and scanning electron microscopy, tissues from nine species were investigated. These included the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba), harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps), short and long finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus and malaena respectively), beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas), humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), and fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus). Measurements were taken of the height of the epidermis, the thickness of the epidermal stratum externum, and the height and number of dermal papillae. Co1lagen bundles of the reticular dermis were measured and ranked by diameter. Nervous structures were quantitatively evaluated by type and location. No differences were found in the epithelial, connective, or nervous tissue of the skin in this region that would imply an increased sensitivity in this area. However, an observed unique organization of the connective tissue may imply a functional difference in the skin of the urogenital region unrelated to the milk let-down phenomenon. Possible alternative mechanisms for the initiation of milk let-down in cetaceans are discussed, including myoepithelial cell contraction caused by urogenital bumping by calves, vocalization by calvest and tacto/acoustic stimulation of the urogenital area by the calf. Epidermal thickness and papillary height varied among animals of different ... Thesis Balaenoptera physalus Beluga Beluga whale Beluga* Delphinapterus leucas Fin whale Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae Phocoena phocoena Sperm whale VTechWorks (VirginiaTech) |
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VTechWorks (VirginiaTech) |
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ftvirginiatec |
language |
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LD5655.V855 1993.J663 Cetacea -- Generative organs -- Histology Skin -- Histology |
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LD5655.V855 1993.J663 Cetacea -- Generative organs -- Histology Skin -- Histology Jones, Flynn Margaret Microanatomic structure of cetacean skin in the urogenital region |
topic_facet |
LD5655.V855 1993.J663 Cetacea -- Generative organs -- Histology Skin -- Histology |
description |
It was hypothesized that there may be microanatomic specializations in the urogenital slit and mammary region of cetaceans. There may be an integumentary-linked mechanism in these animals similar to that which causes the milk let-down response in terrestrial mammals. This hypothesis was tested on tissue samples from fourteen animals collected in a standardized array of fourteen samples from the urogenital area, and one each from the ventral aspect of the flipper and the mid-dorsal body wall for comparison. Using standard histological and ultrastructural procedures, including both transmission and scanning electron microscopy, tissues from nine species were investigated. These included the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba), harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps), short and long finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus and malaena respectively), beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas), humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), and fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus). Measurements were taken of the height of the epidermis, the thickness of the epidermal stratum externum, and the height and number of dermal papillae. Co1lagen bundles of the reticular dermis were measured and ranked by diameter. Nervous structures were quantitatively evaluated by type and location. No differences were found in the epithelial, connective, or nervous tissue of the skin in this region that would imply an increased sensitivity in this area. However, an observed unique organization of the connective tissue may imply a functional difference in the skin of the urogenital region unrelated to the milk let-down phenomenon. Possible alternative mechanisms for the initiation of milk let-down in cetaceans are discussed, including myoepithelial cell contraction caused by urogenital bumping by calves, vocalization by calvest and tacto/acoustic stimulation of the urogenital area by the calf. Epidermal thickness and papillary height varied among animals of different ... |
author2 |
Veterinary Medical Sciences Pfeiffer, Carl J. Larson, Martha M. Smith, Bonnie J. |
format |
Thesis |
author |
Jones, Flynn Margaret |
author_facet |
Jones, Flynn Margaret |
author_sort |
Jones, Flynn Margaret |
title |
Microanatomic structure of cetacean skin in the urogenital region |
title_short |
Microanatomic structure of cetacean skin in the urogenital region |
title_full |
Microanatomic structure of cetacean skin in the urogenital region |
title_fullStr |
Microanatomic structure of cetacean skin in the urogenital region |
title_full_unstemmed |
Microanatomic structure of cetacean skin in the urogenital region |
title_sort |
microanatomic structure of cetacean skin in the urogenital region |
publisher |
Virginia Tech |
publishDate |
1993 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/43422 http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-06232009-063105/ |
genre |
Balaenoptera physalus Beluga Beluga whale Beluga* Delphinapterus leucas Fin whale Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae Phocoena phocoena Sperm whale |
genre_facet |
Balaenoptera physalus Beluga Beluga whale Beluga* Delphinapterus leucas Fin whale Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae Phocoena phocoena Sperm whale |
op_relation |
OCLC# 29374281 LD5655.V855_1993.J663.pdf etd-06232009-063105 http://hdl.handle.net/10919/43422 http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-06232009-063105/ |
op_rights |
In Copyright http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
_version_ |
1799477391509159936 |