Histological Study on the Sensory Receptors of the Teat Skin in Sarabi Cattle

Sarabi cattle are found in Iran and Azerbaijan. They are used for both dairy and meat production. A histological study was carried out on the teat of Sarabi cattle for the first time in Iran. A total number of five adult and healthy cows were selected and after slaughtering, tissue samples were taken from different parts of the teat skin. After fixation in 10% formalin, they were transferred into the tissue processor. Paraffin blocks were made and thin sections of 6?, were cut. The sections were subjected to stain by Hematoxylin and Eosin. They were studied under the light microscope and photo micrographs were taken. The results show that the teat consists of teat sinus, teat wall, teat canal and teat orifice. Teat wall includes three separable strata: skin, middle layer and mucosal layer. Teat skin contains an epidermis and dermis, but there is no evidence of hypodermis existence in contrast with the other parts of the body. Dermis is formed from networks of collagen fibers, blood vessels, circular smooth muscle and nerve fibers. Meissner’s corpuscles are found in the dermal papillae particularly in the connective tissue of teat canal. Myelinated nerve fibers are also seen in this region.