Morphological Description and Histological Structure of Kidney in Barn Owl Tyto alba

Abstract

  The morphological description and histological structure of Kidney in barn owl Tyto alba have been invesigated. The results of present study revealed that barn owl has pair of elongated solid kidney situated symmetrically on both sides of vertebral column. Each kidney consists of three lobes represented by carnial, middle and caudal lobes and all of then covered by a capsule of connective tissue.     Microscopical examination showed that the basic unit of kidney in barn owl represented by lobules which have conical shaped and each of them consists of cortex and medulla, and the cortex occupies more area than that of medulla. The results of the present study revealed that the glomerulus in barn owl represented by relatively small spherical structure and each glomerulus has vascular and urinary poles , and the glomeruli distributed randomly within the cortex tissue of the kidney. Each glomerulus coverd by capsule called Bowman's capsule.    The results of the present study showed that the tubules represented by proximal convoluted tubules, distal convoluted tubules, loops of Henle in addition to the collecting tubules which lead to collecting ducts. All tubules lined by simple epithelial tissue ranged from low cuboidal in thin segment of Henle loop to cuboidal in other parts. It in important to note that the free surface of the cuboidal cells have brush border in proximal convoluted tubules. The collecting ducts lined by simple columnar epithelium. The histological examination revealed that the wall of ureter consists of internal layer of ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelium then smooth muscle layer and the outer-most layer represented by the adventitia of loose connective tissue.