Anatomy and histomorphology of thyroid, parathyroid and ultimobranchial glands in Guinea fowl ( Numida meleagris )

AbstractThe thyroid, parathyroid, and ultimobranchial glands are of great importance to birds due to the secretion of various hormones including T3, T4, PTH, and calcitonin, as well as species differences. Since no study was conducted on some birds of the pheasant family such as Guinea fowl, the anatomy, histomorphology, and histochemistry of these glands in Guinea fowl were studied. For this purpose, six adult Guinea fowls (three males and three females) were selected. The anatomical results showed that in Guinea fowl, the thyroid gland was symmetrical in the chest near the cephalic artery, common carotid artery, and the artery under the collarbone. The mean length and width of the thyroid gland in male Guinea fowl was greater than that of the female. In addition, it had a pair of parathyroid glands, so that the right parathyroid gland was adjacent to the right thyroid gland and between the common carotid arteries and jugular vein while the left parathyroid gland was adjacent to the left thyroid gland. Ultimobranchial gland was also a pair with an irregular shape and pinkish color. The left ultimobranchial gland, contrary to the right ultimobranchial gland, was adjacent to the posterior parathyroid gland. Histological and histochemical results were similar to other birds except that in the thyroid gland, the colloid substance in the follicle was not seen as a homogeneous material, but it was seen as isolated fibers both in dark and light colors in the follicle. The dark coll...
Source: Comparative Clinical Pathology - Category: Pathology Source Type: research