The hair follicle and apocrine gland population of cattle skin.

Abstract

Skin biopsy specimens were collected at a standard midside position from 321 individual cattle (Bos taurus L.) of known age or in defined age groups on pastoral properties in New South Wales and Queensland. Beef cattle were represented by samples from the breeds: Aberdeen Angus, Devon, Hereford, and Shorthorn. Dairy cattle were represented by samples from the breeds: Australian Illawarra Shorthorn, Holstein-Friesian, Jersey, and Red Poll. Data were also obtained on 30 beef Shorthorns repeatedly sampled from birth to the age of 2-1/2 years under severe drought conditions in north Queensland. In all specimens each hair follicle was associated with an apocrine gland as well as a sebaceous gland and an arrector pili muscle. Thus, all hair follicles were homologous with the primary follicles of sheep; no secondary follicles were at any time observed; hence, there was no follicle group comparable in its complexity to that in the sheep and many other mammalian species. Further and more systematic observations by the biopsy and histological methods used in this work are necessary to examine the true nature of breed differences in the follicle and apocrine gland population density of the skin. The Jersey appears to have a denser coat. The data presented in this paper emphasize the dual importance of age and nutritional status of the animal on the hair follicle population density.