HISTOMORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF THE RETICULUM OF THE SHEEP DURING DEVELOPMENT

Histomorphometric and scanning electron microscopic analysis were perf ormed on 74 embryos and foetuses and on 20 sheep (early post-natal to adult age). Histodifferentiation of the reticulum took place at 33 day s of foetal life. Reticular ribs were observed as evaginations of the epithelial stratum germinativum at 64 days. Neutral mucopolysaccharide s first appeared in epithelial cells at 46 foetal days, thereafter to decrease gradually in number, subsequently stabilising in postnatal li fe. Acid mucopolysaccharides, mucins and mucoid compounds were not det ected. Growth curves and formulae were constructed for each tissue lay er. Initial test involved multiplicative (y=axb), linear (y=a+bx) and polynomial model (y=a+bx+cx2+dx3).