MORPHOLOGIC STUDY OF THE MASSETER MUSCLE OF GERBIL (Meriones unguiculatus)

The injury of the masticatory muscles related with craniomandibulars disorders are common in clinical aspects. Therefore, morphologic date of these muscles are important to understand the stomatognatic system. The purpose of this paper is to show the morphology of the masseter muscle of gerbil Meriones unguiculatus using the macroscopic and scanning electron microscopy. For macroscopic observation, were used 5 animals. The animals were perfused with 10% formol solution. They were dissections to observe and to photography. After then, the muscles were removed and immersed in formalin solution for a few days. The specimens were processed by the conventional histologic technique and embbeded in paraffin. Seried sections with 6 µm thickness were stainned with H. E. and analysed and photographed in JENAMED photomicroscope. Our results showed that the masseter muscle presents 5 bundles which mix itself in middle portion, and some spindles were fusionned by the external capsule of themselves, as a giant spindles.