Comparative histological analysis of the skin for forensic investigation of some animal species

Macroscopical and histological analysis of the skin is fundamental in both human and veterinary forensic investigations. However, databases of differential skin histology of various animal species are rare. The aim of the present study is to identify species-specific differential histological featur...

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Main Authors: Elsayed S. I. Mohammed, Fatma A. Madkour, Mohammed Zayed, Rasha Radey, Ahmed Ghallab, Reham Hassan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IfADo - Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund 2022-10-01
Series:EXCLI Journal : Experimental and Clinical Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.excli.de/index.php/excli/article/view/5335
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author Elsayed S. I. Mohammed
Fatma A. Madkour
Mohammed Zayed
Rasha Radey
Ahmed Ghallab
Reham Hassan
author_facet Elsayed S. I. Mohammed
Fatma A. Madkour
Mohammed Zayed
Rasha Radey
Ahmed Ghallab
Reham Hassan
author_sort Elsayed S. I. Mohammed
collection DOAJ
description Macroscopical and histological analysis of the skin is fundamental in both human and veterinary forensic investigations. However, databases of differential skin histology of various animal species are rare. The aim of the present study is to identify species-specific differential histological features of the skin that could be used in forensic investigations including animal identification. For this purpose, skin specimens were collected from the neck region of various farm animals including buffalo, cow, camel, sheep, goat, dog, and donkey, and were processed for histological analysis. Our comparative analysis revealed specific histological features in the skin that could differentiate between the studied animal species. The epidermis layer of the skin was very thick in buffalo, intermediate in cow, sheep, goat, dog, and donkey, but very thin in camel. The papillomatous epidermis was very frequent in buffalo, but very rare in cow. In the dermis layer of the skin, four structures were located which showed differential features between the studied animal species: the papillary layer, which was thick in buffalo, camel, sheep, dog, and donkey but thin in cow and goat. The sweat glands, which were few in buffalo, cow, goat, and dog, but numerous and deeply located in the dermis of sheep; they were individually located in all studied animals except in camel and donkey they were arranged in clusters. The hair follicles were characteristic for the skin of sheep as they were present at two different levels in the dermis with simple and compound hair follicles. The sebaceous glands were large and multi-lobular in buffalo, but small and uni-lobular in cow and camel. The hypodermis layer of the skin was very thick in sheep and goat in contrast to all other analyzed animals. In conclusion, the present study provides comprehensive information on the differential histological features of the skin of seven different domestic animal species that could be used as a key in forensic investigations.
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spelling doaj.art-9393e70c67504ebbba807305095646e92023-04-20T13:12:41ZengIfADo - Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, DortmundEXCLI Journal : Experimental and Clinical Sciences1611-21562022-10-01211286129810.17179/excli2022-53354774Comparative histological analysis of the skin for forensic investigation of some animal speciesElsayed S. I. Mohammed0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7884-8234Fatma A. Madkour1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5641-9260Mohammed Zayed2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3361-0943Rasha Radey3https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5120-7026Ahmed Ghallab4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0695-3403Reham Hassan5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6569-7676Department of Histology and Cytology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena 83523, Egypt. Tel.: 0021091420106. E-mail: esi.mohammed@vet.svu.edu.egDepartment Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena 83523, EgyptDepartment of Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena 83523, EgyptAnimal Health Research Institute, Qena Branch, Qena, EgyptIfADo – Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human FactorsDepartment of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena 83523, EgyptMacroscopical and histological analysis of the skin is fundamental in both human and veterinary forensic investigations. However, databases of differential skin histology of various animal species are rare. The aim of the present study is to identify species-specific differential histological features of the skin that could be used in forensic investigations including animal identification. For this purpose, skin specimens were collected from the neck region of various farm animals including buffalo, cow, camel, sheep, goat, dog, and donkey, and were processed for histological analysis. Our comparative analysis revealed specific histological features in the skin that could differentiate between the studied animal species. The epidermis layer of the skin was very thick in buffalo, intermediate in cow, sheep, goat, dog, and donkey, but very thin in camel. The papillomatous epidermis was very frequent in buffalo, but very rare in cow. In the dermis layer of the skin, four structures were located which showed differential features between the studied animal species: the papillary layer, which was thick in buffalo, camel, sheep, dog, and donkey but thin in cow and goat. The sweat glands, which were few in buffalo, cow, goat, and dog, but numerous and deeply located in the dermis of sheep; they were individually located in all studied animals except in camel and donkey they were arranged in clusters. The hair follicles were characteristic for the skin of sheep as they were present at two different levels in the dermis with simple and compound hair follicles. The sebaceous glands were large and multi-lobular in buffalo, but small and uni-lobular in cow and camel. The hypodermis layer of the skin was very thick in sheep and goat in contrast to all other analyzed animals. In conclusion, the present study provides comprehensive information on the differential histological features of the skin of seven different domestic animal species that could be used as a key in forensic investigations.https://www.excli.de/index.php/excli/article/view/5335forensic medicineskin histologyepidermisdifferential histology
spellingShingle Elsayed S. I. Mohammed
Fatma A. Madkour
Mohammed Zayed
Rasha Radey
Ahmed Ghallab
Reham Hassan
Comparative histological analysis of the skin for forensic investigation of some animal species
EXCLI Journal : Experimental and Clinical Sciences
forensic medicine
skin histology
epidermis
differential histology
title Comparative histological analysis of the skin for forensic investigation of some animal species
title_full Comparative histological analysis of the skin for forensic investigation of some animal species
title_fullStr Comparative histological analysis of the skin for forensic investigation of some animal species
title_full_unstemmed Comparative histological analysis of the skin for forensic investigation of some animal species
title_short Comparative histological analysis of the skin for forensic investigation of some animal species
title_sort comparative histological analysis of the skin for forensic investigation of some animal species
topic forensic medicine
skin histology
epidermis
differential histology
url https://www.excli.de/index.php/excli/article/view/5335
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AT rasharadey comparativehistologicalanalysisoftheskinforforensicinvestigationofsomeanimalspecies
AT ahmedghallab comparativehistologicalanalysisoftheskinforforensicinvestigationofsomeanimalspecies
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