Histological lung description of Caracara plancus (Miller, 1777) (Falconiformes, Falconidae) and Ardea alba (Linnaeus, 1758) (Pelecaniformes, Ardeidae)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5007/2175-7925.2014v27n4p101Abstract
Histological studies in wild birds are still incipient, taking into account the great diversity of species and the difficulty to obtain material for analysis. Due to this scarcity, we aimed to describe the microscopic lung morphology of two terrestrial wild birds. To do this, we used a specimen of Ardea alba – Linnaeus, 1758 (great egret) – and a specimen of Caracara plancus – Miller, 1777 (southern caracara) –, which were taken to the Center for Rehabilitation of Wild Animals (CRAS) of Universidade Estácio de Sá (UNESA), in Vargem Pequena, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, by members of civil society and government care and protection agencies; however, they did not survive their injuries and died naturally. The animals were dissected and their lungs were fixed in 10% formaldehyde aqueous solution, to apply routine histological technique, revealing a differentiated structure in the organ with a bronchial branching pattern that consists of mesobronchus, secondary bronchus, and parabronchus, as well as absence of classical lung alveoli, whose function is performed by air capillaries. Results point out the microscopic resemblance to poultry and confirm the complex architecture to enhance gas exchange.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
After the electronic publication of the manuscript, the authors are entitled, without any restriction, on its contents.
License Creative Commons Atribuição 4.0 Internacional - CC BY
Authors are able to take on additional contracts separately, non-exclusive distribution of the version of the paper published in this journal (ex.: publish in institutional repository or as a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.