Publication Details
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate anatomical, histological and ultra-structural study of salt glands in adult domestic ducks .Anatomically, The salt glands in domestic duck of both control and salt stressed were crescent in shape with two pointed anterior and posterior extremities. The dorsal boarder was carved while the ventral boarder which face the eye ball was concaved. The gland was firmly attached with supra orbital depression, the skin of the head directly covered the gland. when the ducks drinking salinated water, the salt glands are engorged, the color become dark red and increased in size and weight.
Histological changes of stressed salt glands were hypertrophied and highly vascular with decrease connective tissue when the ducks exposed to sustained osmotic stress by replacing the drinking fresh water to brackish water (salt water 3%). In ultra-structural study of salt glands, when the ducks drinking salinated water, the principal cells contain large spherical nucleus with (euchromatin) and numerous elongated oval mitochondria (large in size) with secretory granules and development of numerous basal folds generally invested the cytoplasm to the level of the nucleus with abundant ribosomes. Also between the principal cells there was clear occurrence of complex junction and desmosome between the lateral membranes of principal cells. Which prevent the transport of material and ions between the lumen and the under lining connective tissue and blood vessels.