Morphology and structure of the nictitating membrane cartilage in mammals
Barasa, A.
Morphologie Bulletin de l'Association des Anatomistes 87(277): 5-12
2003
ISSN/ISBN: 1286-0115 PMID: 14717063 Document Number: 553874
In 30 species of Mammals of varying body size (from rat to elephant), the form, dimensions and structure of the cartilage of the third eyelid were studied. The cartilage is a thin lamina concave in its corneal side, usually elongated in the oro-aboral direction. In the most species studied the outline of the cartilage may be inscribed in a triangle with a oral base, a dorsal margin, a ventral margin and an aboral apex. A study of stained sections revealed, in more than half of species, the presence of elastic fibres in the aboral part of cartilage; these fibres are particularly numerous, but non uniformly distributed, in the Equidae, lion and Suidae.