Renal anatomy in sparrows from different environments

✍ Scribed by Giovanni Casotti; Eldon J. Braun

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 354 KB
• Volume: 243
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0362-2525
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-4687(200003)243:3<283::aid-jmor5>3.0.co;2-b

✦ Synopsis

The renal anatomy of three species of sparrows, two from mesic areas, the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) and Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia), and one salt marsh species, the Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) was examined. Electron microscopy was used to describe the ultrastructure of the nephron. In addition, stereology was used to quantify the volumes of cortex, medulla, and major vasculature of the kidneys, and the volumes and surface areas occupied by individual nephron components. There appeared to be no differences in the ultrastructural anatomy of the nephrons among the sparrows. Proximal tubules contained both narrow and wide intercellular spaces filled with interdigitations of the basolateral membrane. The thin limbs of Henle contained very wide intercellular spaces which were absent in the thick limbs of Henle. The distal tubule cells contained short, apical microvilli and infoldings of the basolateral membrane. In cross section, the medullary cones of all