[Structure of the adrenal glands of Greenland seal Pagophilus groenlandica Erxleben, 1777 (Phocidae)].

The harp seal adrenal gland studied is alike that of terrestrial mammals, but has some peculiarities. Firstly, this is presence of the fetal cortex in the adrenal gland without any signs of involution and degeneration in adult animals. This phenomenon has been previously described only for the horse adrenal gland. The glomerular zone of the cortex peculiar for the adrenals in the terrestrial mammals in the species studied has the form of arches. This property is also characteristic only to the horse gland. The absence of intermediate and juxtamedullary zones also differs the harp seal adrenal gland from that of terrestrial mammals.