Histological observations on the skin of the hairless mouse and the bare-neck chicken

Abstract

The skin of the hairless mouse (Mus molossinus) was histologically studied. The coat of the hairless mouse here concerned was shed when the animal was about two weeks old. Sections of hairless skin showed that it differed from the normal skin in the fact that though the epidermis is normal in appearance, the cutis is very thickened. The hair follicle shows a very poor development, being considerably less in number than in the normal skin. There is no papilla in the hair follicle.
The histological structure of the skin of the bare-neck chicken was examined. The skin is, on the whole, remarkably thinner than that of the normal chicken of the same age, due to a poor development of the cutis. The cutis of the bare- neck chicken is also remarkable in having no feather follicle and other elements necessary for the development of the feather.