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Fine structure of the gular gland of the free‐tailed bat Tadarida brasiliensis
Author(s) -
Gutierrez Mercedes,
Aoki Agustin
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
journal of morphology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.652
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1097-4687
pISSN - 0362-2525
DOI - 10.1002/jmor.1051410305
Subject(s) - lipid droplet , endoplasmic reticulum , cytoplasm , biology , organelle , sebaceous gland , acinus , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , endocrinology , pancreas
The gular gland of the bat Tadarida brasiliensis is a specialized sebaceous gland located in the skin of the suprasternal region of adult males. It consists of an aggregation of simple branched tubulo‐acinar gland units, the number of which varies seasonally. Each acinus is composed of densely packed sebaceous cells at various stages of differentiation. Acinar basal cells and cells of the epithelium of the ducts can differentiate into sebaceous cells. Two main changes appear in the cytoplasm concurrent with the sebaceous transformation: the differentiation of cytoplasmic organelles and the deposition of lipid material. The appearance of a different type of mitochondrion and the development of large numbers of ribosomes and polyribosomes can be recognized in the cytoplasm at an early stage of differentiation. Concomitant with the deposition of significant numbers of lipid droplets, the cells develop abundant agranular endoplasmic reticulum occurring mainly as scattered tubular cisternae. These at times form whorls surrounding lipid droplets. At later stages, the cisternae of the agranular endoplasmic reticulum often occur in crystalline arrays between secretory oil droplets. The roles of the different cytoplasmic organelles, especially in relation to the production of sebum, are discussed.