Premium
Three dimensional organization of the desert quail medullary cone
Author(s) -
Choi Joshua S,
Braun Eldon J
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.25.1_supplement.1047.5
Subject(s) - quail , medullary cavity , cone (formal languages) , geology , biology , anatomy , mathematics , ecology , algorithm
The morphological organization of the avian renal medulla is quite different from that of the unipapillate or multipapillate kidneys of mammals. The avian medullary region is divided into numerous medullary cones. There is still some uncertainty as to how these individual units function to produce fluids that are hyperosmotic to the plasma from which they are derived. In an attempt to gain further insights of the function of the countercurrent multiplier system within the medullary cones, a medullary cone isolate from a kidney of the desert quail was serial sectioned at 8 microns. These sections were scanned to produce digital images that could be registered and successively layered to produce a three dimensional image of the cone. Using Amira software, the individual tubule elements (ascending (ALLH) and descending limbs of Henle (DLLH), collecting ducts (CD)) and vasa recta (VR) were identified and coded. It was initially predicted that, as in unipapillate kidney of mammals, that the DLLH and VR would cluster in the center of the cone surrounded by ALLH CDs. However, unlike the mammal renal papilla, it appears that the DLLH and VR of the medullary cone display less segregation.