1. Histomorphometrical study on the skin of different regions of the Caribbean common opossum (Didelphis marsupialis Linnaeus, 1758)
- Author
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Marcelo L. da Veiga, Reda Mohamed, and William Pérez
- Subjects
Didelphis ,040301 veterinary sciences ,West Indies ,Epidermal thickness ,0403 veterinary science ,03 medical and health sciences ,Opossum ,medicine ,Animals ,Skin ,0303 health sciences ,integumentary system ,General Veterinary ,biology ,urogenital system ,04 agricultural and veterinary sciences ,General Medicine ,Anatomy ,biology.organism_classification ,Skin Histology ,Sweat Glands ,Dermal papillae ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,030301 anatomy & morphology ,Epidermis ,Normal skin ,Animal Distribution ,Hair Follicle - Abstract
Common opossums (Didelphis marsupialis) are found throughout the Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago. The present work was conducted on the fresh normal skin of 10 common opossums and aimed to provide morphometric data and a histological description of the skin in different regions of the body. In the examined regions, the skin presented a typical thin skin morphology, with numerous folds on the surface. The dermis-epidermis junction is smooth, without the occurrence of dermal papillae. The average thickness of the opossum epidermis was 19.5 µm. The cranial region of the back showed the greatest epidermal thickness, and together with the other areas of the back presented an epidermis 2-3 times thicker compared with the other areas examined. To further confirm that the skin changes in the opossum are age- or diet-related, additional studies are required.
- Published
- 2020