Vascularization of the trachea in the bottlenose dolphin: comparison with bovine and evidence for evolutionary adaptations to diving.

ABSTRACT: The rigid structure of the mammalian trachea is functional to maintain constant patency and airflow during breathing, but no gas exchange takes place through its walls. The structure of the organ in dolphins shows increased rigidity of the tracheal cartilaginous rings and the presence of vascular lacunae in the submucosa. However, no actual comparison was ever made between the size and capacity of the vascular lacunae of the dolphin trachea and the potentially homologous structures of terrestrial mammals. In the present study, the extension of the lacunae has been compared between the bottlenose dolphin and the bovine, a closely related terrestrial Cetartiodactyla. Our results indicate that the extension of the blood spaces in the submucosa of dolphins is over 12 times larger than in the c

SUBMITTER: Ballarin C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5936905 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature