Document Type : Al-Qadisiyah Conference 2025
Authors
Department of Anatomy and Histology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Al-Qadisiyah, Al-Diwaniyah City, Iraq
Abstract
The Euphrates jerboa, Allactaga euphratica, is a rodent which has adapted to life in a desert, and whose respiratory system is specialized to cope with dusty and inhospitable surroundings. This research sought to elaborate the anatomy, histomorphology, and histochemistry of the jerboa's trachea and bronchial tree through gross dissection and examination, resin casting, and routine histological staining. In total, fifteen adult male jerboas were separated into equal groups of anatomy, casting, and histology. In anatomical terms, the jerboa's trachea was a short, flexible tube with an average length of 0.7 ± 0.32 mm, and was comprised of eight cartilaginous rings shaped like the letter ‘C’. The right primary bronchus was more divided or branched than the left one, with the right forming a cranial, caudal, and accessory bronchus, and the left bronchus branching into three major branches. The resin casting confirmed and illustrated this asymmetry and the bronchial pattern which was efficient and presumably enhances the ventilation. Histology of the trachea illustrated four layers in the wall: the mucosa, submucosa, cartilage, and adventitia. The mucosa and the inner submucosa were lined with pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium with goblet cells which was poor in gland and immune cell elements. The cartilage rings were hyaline and the broad plate of the lamina bordered with resilient walls composed of lymphocyte and macrophage, which illustrated local defense and active local defense. According to statistical analysis, no significant difference was found among the measurements of the tracheae (P ≥ 0.05).
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