AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES|agricultural activity|animal health
- faireog Harder Tagairt Faomhadh an téarma seo mar chuid de Thionscadal Lex
- ga
- harderian gland
- en
- Sainmhíniú gland occurring in most terrestrial vertebrates and which is located within the orbit where, in some species, it is the largest structure Tagairt "A P Payne. The harderian gland: a tercentennial review. J Anat. Aug 1994; 185(Pt 1): 1–49, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1166813/ [23.10.2014]"
- Nóta It may be compound tubular or compound tubuloalveolar, and its secretory duct is usually morphologically distinct only after leaving the substance of the gland to open on the surface of the nictitating membrane. The tubules of the gland are formed of a single layer of columnar epithelial cells surrounded by myoepithelial cells. The chief product(s) of the gland varies between different groups of vertebrates, and epithelial cells possess granules or vacuoles whose contents may be mucous, serous or lipid. In rodents, the gland synthesises lipids, porphyrins and indoles. In the case of lipid vacuoles, the gland is unusual in releasing these by an exocytotic mechanism. It is unclear whether the gland can act both as an exocrine and endocrine organ.