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The effects of androgens on the β‐glands of the tokay (Gekko gecko) : Modification of an hypothesis
Author(s) -
Maderson P. F. A.,
Chiu K. W.
Publication year - 1981
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.1051670110
Subject(s) - biology , histogenesis , gecko , epidermis (zoology) , lizard , androgen , endocrinology , medicine , anatomy , immunohistochemistry , zoology , hormone , immunology
Study of the posterior abdominal epidermis in hypophysectomized/thyroidectomized male and female tokays following surgery, and subsequent androgen therapy, indicates that, contrary to a previous model, all aspects of β‐gland differentiation are under direct androgenic control. On the other hand, another epidermal specialization, the digital foot‐pad, shows a pattern of histogenesis directly comparable to that of β‐glands, but is unaffected by androgens. These data are discussed with respect to the evolution of glandular epidermal specializations in gekkonid lizards and the possible role of androgens in modifying the control of cell differentiation in lizard epidermis.