Growth and differentiation of adrenal medulla in prenatal goat

A study was conducted on 24 healthy and normal embryos/foeti of non-descript goats (Capra hircus) varying from day-old to 150 days of gestation. The embryos/foeti were assigned three groups according to their gestation ages; Gr-I (up to 50 days), II (51–100 days) and III (101-till term). Migratory future medullary cells characterized by spherical vesicular nuclei with highly eosinophilic cytoplasm were observed on 42 days of gestation. At 60 days, they were concentrated in the centre and arranged in short chains or small clusters surrounded by sinusoidal capillaries. At 101 days of gestation central region of parenchyma showed loosely arranged medullary cells. At this stage, two types of cells were encountered in the medulla viz., large adrenalin (A) cells or adrenal secreting cells and small noradrenalin (NA) cells or noradrenalin secreting cells. It was concluded that the thickness of medulla showed positive growth with the foetal age and migratory future medullary cells were first observed at 42 days of gestation.