Ultrastructure of the salivary bladder of the nine-banded armadillo

The nine-banded armadillo possesses a salivary bladder which is a dilated portion of the main duct of the submandibular gland at its origin. The wall of the bladder is composed of an epithelium, a submucosa and a thick coat of skeletal muscle. The ultrastructure of the epithelium reveals that it is complex and consists of three cell types: 1) principal cells, 2) light cells, and 3) basal cells. The general organization of the epithelium suggests that it is a transporting type of epithelium such as that found in the amphibian and reptilian and reptilian urinary bladders and the mammalian gall bladder. The submucosa is composed primarily of densely-packed collagen fibers. The skeletal muscle is very vascular and richly innervated.