VENOUS DRAINACE OF THE THORACIC WALL OF SOME BIRDS (DUCK AND CHICK)

Document Type : Research article

Authors

Depts. of Anatomy & Zoology, Faculty of Medicine & Faculty of Science, Assiut University,

Abstract

The present study was done on fifteen adult domestic ducks (Anas platyrhynchos ) and tweleve adult domestic chicks (Gallus domesticus, rhode island red). It was observed that each side of the ventral thoracic wall was drained by means of two internal tho racic veins. Each side of the dorsal thoracic wall was drained by means of the caudal vertebral vein, the internal vertebral sinus and the septal vein. It was concluded that the internal vertebral sinus, in birds, was analogus with the azygos vein in mammals as both received most of the dorsal intercostal veins. The present work proved the presence of profuse anastomoses between the intercostal veins. These were attribu ted to the rap < /strong>id criculation which was caused by the high metabolic rate and consequ entely the great activity of birds (BELLARIS and JENKIN, 1960). The present findings were compared with those obtained by other investigators in different vertebrates.