Cervical mucus in a cow
Keywords: mucus, estrus, cervix, bovine, cow, detection, Spinnbarkheit, sodium chloride, NaCl, conductivity
Image size: 1312 x 986px (click to enlarge for best focus).
Mucus accumulation around the cervix of a cow during estrus. This mucus is being produced by the cervical glands around the external cervical os. Apart from its physiological value of lubricating the tract, its presence is a valuable management tool because it is discharged at the time of estrus in cows, facilitating estrus detection.
Mucus accumulation around the cervix of a cow during estrus. This mucus is being produced by the cervical glands around the external cervical os. Apart from its physiological value of lubricating the tract, its presence is a valuable management tool because it is discharged at the time of estrus in cows, facilitating estrus detection.
The elasticity of the mucus is obvious in this image. The stretchiness of this mucus is sometimes referred to as Spinnbarkheit from the German word for "ability to spin (into thread) because it becomes thread-like when it is most able to stretch. In humans, this phenomenon is sometimes used to determine the optimal time for artificial insemination.
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Also, vaginal mucus from a cow in estrus, stretched between two glass slides:
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The concentration of salt (sodium chloride) increases during estrus therefore the ability of cervical mucus to conduct electricity also increases at that time. Instruments that measure conductivity of cervical mucus are available to assist one in determining the stage of the estrous cycle.