The epiphysis cerebri of the Weddell seal: Its remarkable size and glandular pattern
1969; Elsevier BV; Volume: 12; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1016/0016-6480(69)90148-8
ISSN1095-6840
AutoresA. Claudio Cuello, Juan H. Tramezzani,
Tópico(s)Marine animal studies overview
ResumoA morphologic study of the pineal of the Weddell seal (Leptonichotes weddelli) was carried out during a whole polar year. The gland of the Weddell seal, a nonmigratory antarctic pinniped, shows a remarkable size, 20–30 mm long. Its structural pattern differs from that of the rest of mammals. It presents a cortical and medullar region. A capsule covers the gland and has a pigmentary layer on its dorsal and distal portion. The cortical region contains pinealocytes, nerve fibers, and glial cells while the medulla has connective tissue, blood vessels, nerve fibers, and some glial cells. Pinealocytes that are present only in the cortical region showed a clear seasonal variation in their lipidic content.
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