Morphological and histochemical study of adrenal gland in local domestic pigeons (Columba livia domestica)‎ in Basrah Province

الملخص EN

The present study was designated to illustrate the morphological , histological and histochemical features of adrenal gland of local domestic pigeons (coulumba livia domestica) in Basrah province .

Ten adrenal glands used in the study collected from Karrmat Ali Village, Iraq .

Immediately after collection the adrenal glands were subjected for morphological histological and histochemical study.

The study revealed that the pigeon have paired small glands located in the abdominal cavity at the anterior pole of the kidneys .

The gland was elongated in shape and showed creamy or grayish in color.

Histologically , the glands was unsheathed with thin fibro – elastic connective tissue capsule containing many blood vessels .

The cortical tissues were arranged into two zones; peripheral (sub capsular) and inner (central).

The cells of sub capsular are arranged in curved cord , each cord had polyhedral acidophilic cells.

On the other hand, the histological examination of the cortex of adrenal glands contains autonomic ganglia associated with glandular capsule ,contains nerve cells and fibers.

The inner cortical cells showed straight and curved cords in longitudinal sections, each composed of two types of cells acidophilc cells and chromaffin cells .The Histochemical study revealed presence lipids droplets in the gland , in addition to elastic fibers in the capsules and among the cells of glands .