Research on the distribution of the celiac artery in duck (Anas platyrhynchos)

Abstract

Birds have developed a highly specialized cardiovascular system to meet the rigorous energy demands of running, flying, swimming or diving in different environmental conditions, some of them extremely harsh. Although the bibliographic study showed the interest of anatomists in researching the cardiovascular system in birds, the structure and functions of this system are far more limited than in mammals. It was found that individual morphological variants appear in any new research. This represents a motivation in carrying out a morphological study of the celiac artery in duck, in order to complete the data from the literature, through original descriptions and images. The studies were carried out on ten duck corpses (Anas platyrhynchos), by the injection method with plastic contrast material. Some results corresponded to the data from the literature, but it was also possible to identify elements for the first time, such as an anastomosis observed between the dorsal and ventral proventricular arteries in 70% of the cases. Also as novel elements, peculiarities of the topography of the origin of some arteries were identified in some specimens, as well as different sources of irrigation for certain segments of the digestive tube in this species.