Ultrastructural studies of mammary gland in lactating & nonlactating nondescript goat.

The ultrastructural study was conducted on mammary gland of four lactating and four nonlactating goat. The tissue samples were processed for transmission electron microscopic study. Transmission electron microscopic observations revealed the presence of three types of cells in the alveoli of mammary gland in lactating goat. These cells were, glandular epithelial cells, myoepithelial cells and wandering cells. The alveolar epithelial cells were active and polar in nature. The apical membrane of polar epithelial cells showed secretory activity with microvilli. The nuclei showed more euchromatin than heterochromatin. The large round to oval mitochondria with well developed lamellar cristae were observed throughout the cytoplasm in close association with secretory material. The rough endoplasmic reticulum was extensively developed and dilated, consisted of parallel cisternae. Well developed Golgi complex was found in supranuclear region which consisted of parallel, membrane bounded, flattened cisternae. The secretory epithelial cells were firmly joined with one another by junctional complex. The myoepithelial cells were elongated in shape. The wandering cells were pear shaped and their nuclei occupied the major proportion of the cell. In mammary gland of nonlactating goats there was loss of structural integrity, hyalinization, degeneration, sloughing off and death of glandular epithelial cells occurred.