ENDOSCOPIC GROSS-ANATOMY FINDINGS OF THE THORACIC AIR SAC OF THE TURKEY

The gross anatomy of the cranial thoracic air sacs was studied in the live turkey with a fiber-optic endoscope fitted with a video system. T hirty-five out of 39 (89.7%) of the turkeys had paired single thoracic air sacs with two ostia. The other 10.3% of the turkeys had paired cr anial and caudal thoracic air sacs, each with a single ostium. The air flow pattern through the common thoracic air sac with two ostia is un known. Furthermore, 42.3% of the turkeys with a single thoracic air sa c had an invagination arising from the floor of the air sac that parti ally divided the single thoracic air sac creating a blind-ended sac. T he blind sac formed by the invagination may trap small inhaled particu late matter.