368 



PHYSIOLOGY OF GONADS 



TABLE 6.1 

 Occurrence of male accessory reproductive glands and their homologues in females" 



"Compiled from Oudemans, 1892; Engle, 1926a; Retief, 1949; Eckstein and Zuckerman, 1956 and 

 others. + indicates the presence of a well developed functioning gland. — indicates either a small ves- 

 tigial gland or the absence of any rudiment. 



^ Bulbo-urethral (Cowper's), prostate, seminal vesicle and ampuUary glands. 



"^ Bulbovestibular (Bartholin's) and prostate glands (para-urethral glands of Skene); genera and 

 species refer only to those in which functioning female prostates have been reported in the listed ref- 

 erences. 



homologous organs do not necessarily have 

 the same chemical functions. 



Finally, there is variability among orders 

 of mannnals and families within orders, with 

 respect to the accessory glands which are 

 present (Table 6.1). The prostate is the 

 only u;land that is found almost universally. 



C. SURVEY OF THE GL.4NDS 



1. 



Bulbo-urethral 

 Glands 



and Bulbovestihidar 



Bulbo-urethral (Cow^per'.s). The bulbo- 

 urethral glands are compound tubulo-al- 

 veolar glands resembling mucous glands in 

 some respects. Their secretion is a viscid 

 lubricant which is em])tied into the bulbar 



region of the pelvic urethra. There may be 

 a single pair of glands as in the monotremes, 

 primates, and rodents, or as many as three 

 pairs (Fig. 6.1), as in some marsupials 

 (Chase, 1939; Rubin, 1944). Their relative 

 size, gross structure, and complexity vary 

 widely. For example, they are small, com- 

 pact, bean-shaped glands in man, relatively 

 enormous, complicated glands in squirrels, 

 and large, cylindrical glands in the boar. 



Bulbo-urethral glands are notably lacking 

 in Cetacea, Sirenia, and certain carnivores 

 such as seals, walruses, sea lions, all rauste- 

 lids, and the bear and dog (Oudemans, 1892; 

 Engle, 1926a; Eckstein and Zuckerman, 

 1956). (Oudemans made a point of the fact 

 that tliey are not present in aciuatic mam- 



