[Morphology and structure of the nictitating membrane cartilage in mammals].
In 30 species of Mammals of varying body size (from rat to elephant), the form, dimensions and structure of the cartilage of the third eyelid were studied. The cartilage is a thin lamina concave in its corneal side, usually elongated in the oro-aboral direction. In the most species studied the outline of the cartilage may be inscribed in a triangle with a oral base, a dorsal margin, a ventral margin and an aboral apex. A study of stained sections revealed, in more than half of species, the presence of elastic fibres in the aboral part of cartilage; these fibres are particularly numerous, but non uniformly distributed, in the Equidae, lion and Suidae.
Barasa
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Département de Morphophysiologie Vétérinaire, Rue L. de Vinci 44, 10095 Grugliasco, Italie.
D000818:Animals; D002356:Cartilage / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000166:cytology; D002415:Cats; D004285:Dogs; D008322:Mammals; D009541:Nictitating Membrane / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000166:cytology