RE SEARCH ARTICLE HISTOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE CAPSULE AND CONNECTIVE TI SSUE STROMA OF MAMMARY GLAND IN MADRAS RED SHEEP ( OVIS ARIES )

The mammary gland in Madras red sheep was covered from outside to inside by the skin and fibroelastic capsule. The connective tissue septa branched off from capsule and grown deeper and pe netrated the adipose tissue which was evident in the mammary glands of prepubertal and pubertal animals. The concentration of the elastic and reticular fibres increased in pregnant and lactating mammary glands. The adipose tissue was abundant and surrounde d the small groups of ducts in prepubertal and pubertal mammary glands. In the pregnant and lactating sheep, the connective tissue became reduced and lobuloalveolar tissue was predominantly increased. The relative proportion of the interlobular tissue incr eased at the pubertal period but decreased during pregnant and lactating mammary glands, due to the increase in size of the glandular alveoli. The decrease in the interlobular connective tissue was due to the growth of the parenchymatous elements in these age groups of animals. In non - lactating dry animals the mammary gland showed increased amount of connective tissue elements and corpora amylacea due to regression effect.