Abstract
Camels play a vital role in the livestock sector in Al-Muthanna Governorate, The statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture/ Department of Planning 2008 revealed that the total numbers of camels in Iraq and in Al Muthanna province were (58293) and (7205) heads respectively. The latest statistics 2016-2017 revealed an increase in the numbers of camels in Al Muthanna (17500) head.(38) This underscores the importance of camel breeding in the governorate, where breeders benefit from their meat, hides, and other products. Camel milk is considered a major desert resource, often referred to as "white gold of the desert." Consequently, the study of mammary glands and their development before and after puberty is a neglected area of research in the governorate. This study aimed to investigate the morphological structure of the mammary gland during pre- and post-pubertal periods, the changes that have occurred to it, and to compare morphological and morphometric changes in the mammary glands during these periods.
This study successfully achieved its objectives by collecting 12 camel samples, divided into two groups of six samples each: six pre-pubescent and six post-pubescent. These samples underwent a morphological study (general description of the mammary glands, including gross study) and diagnostic imaging (radiography, computed tomography (CT), and ultrasound). A morphometric study was also conducted, involving numerous measurements of the teats and udder. The morphological study revealed that the pre-pubescent mammary glands are fully developed and complete in all their parts. These parts include two to three teat ducts, which connect to a teat cistern. This cistern, in turn, connects to the glandular cistern, which has a spongy consistency and contains cavities of varying sizes. These cavities decrease in size as they approach the parenchyma tissue. A clear change was observed in the morphometric measurements of both the teats and udder. found to be statistically significant using a t-test (p-value ≤ 0.05) with the exception of: Diameter of teats at the apex, anterior left (mm), which had a significance value
of 0.457; and Diameter of the teats at the tip, left posterior (mm), with a significance value of 0.145; and Diameter of teats at the tip, right posterior (mm), with a significance value of 0.252. These values were considered not statistically significant and did not show a clear difference or tangible change during the pre- and post-pubertal periods. This confirms that the samples did not experience lactation even after puberty, based on the age range used in the study, which suggests that lactating females typically have noticeably rounded teat at the tip.