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Morfologia da glândula intermaxilar do sapo (Bufo paracnemis Lutz, 1925)

The intermaxillary gland of Bufo paracnemis Lutz, 1925 is located at the pre-nasal area being divided anteriorly by the ascendent processes of the intermaxillary bone. The secretory tubules converge to form very ramified ducts which drain into a common opening in a fosseta underlying the vomer bone. The cells of the intermaxillary gland were be classified in four distinct types: Light-granule secretory; Dark-granule secretory; ciliated and basal cells. The light-granule secretory cells, are the main type of the secretory tubules, which are also found, in smaller numbers, in the excretory ducts. The dark-granule secretory cells appear in a low number, both in the secretory tubules and in the excretory ducts. Degranulated cells are frequently found in the excretory ducts and represent the degranulated phase of dark-granule secretory cells. The ciliated cells occur only in the excretory ducts. The basal cells occur in small number in the excretory ducts and secretory tubules. In the excretory ducts these cells are regarded as being mioepithelial cells. Although usually described in the literature as mucous, the secretory cells of the intermaxillary gland have serous characteristics. The intermaxillary gland is the first salivary gland to appear in the vertebrate evolution. Its duct system is uniformly lined by ciliated cells and scattered secretory cells. This indicates that in the evolution, of salivary glands, there was a diversification of the duct system, together with progressxve concentration of secretory cells in special áreas of this system.


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