MORPHOLOGY OF EPIDIDYMAL REGION AND DUCTUS DEFERENS OF TURKEY (MELEAGRIS-GALLOPAVO)

  • 1 January 1976
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 122  (NOV) , 241-252
Abstract
The ductal system of the reproductive tract of the male turkey (M. gallopavo) was studied by gross dissection and light microscopy of paraffin and Epon embedded tissues. The epididymal region lay dorsomedial to the testis and contained the rete testis, ductuli efferentes, connecting ductules and ductus epididymidis, successively. The highly tortuous ductus epididymidis continued caudally as the convoluted ductus deferens. This ductus was modified at the terminus to form a dilated receptaculum which contained a large volume of semen and opened into the urodeum through a small papilla. Squamous and cubodial cells formed the epithelium in the rete testis, granulated columnar cells and ciliated cells in the ductuli efferentes and connecting ductules, and agranulated columnar cells in the ductus epididymidis, ductus deferens, receptaculum and papilla. Basal cells were found in increasing number from the efferentes to the papilla. Goblet cells were seen only in the external epithelium of the papilla. Non-ciliated columnar cells, with the exception of those in the rete testis, the receptaculum and the papilla, apparently contribute to the seminal plasma by apocrine secretion.