The skins of vertebrates contain both unicellular glands, which discharge directly to …

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Biology Articles » Anatomy & Physiology » Anatomy, Animal » Histological and structural observations on pre-anal glands of the gekkonid lizard, Hemidactylus flaviviridis » Discussion

Discussion

- Histological and structural observations on pre-anal glands of the gekkonid lizard, Hemidactylus flaviviridis

The present observations indicate that the pre-anal glands of H. flaviviridis are tubulo-acinar in structure and are dorsoventrally flattened, in contrast to the glands of U. hardwickii which are tubular and are not dorsoventrally flattened (Athavale et al. 1977). However, they closely resemble the glands of H. bowringii described by Chiu & Maderson (1975). Thus the pre-anal glands appear to differ structurally between but not within the same genus. Nevertheless, the mode of secretion, namely holocrine, may be similar throughout. The histological evidence shows clearly that the pre-anal glands of H. flaviviridis are holocrine in their mode of secretion. It seems probable that they have a socio-sexual function and work on this is in progress.