Morphological and histopathological study of Air Sacs (Sacci pneumatic) in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

This study aimed to investigate the anatomical and histological features of air sacs in Japanese quail. Twenty healthy birds from Japanese quail (10 Males and 10 Females) were obtained for routine anatomical and histological study, 2 ml of 10% chloral hydrate was injected directly into the heart and then they were injected via trachea with a cold cure plastic mixture for corrosion cast making. The birds were immersions in 3% potassium hydroxide 40c for maceration, washing by tap water. Grossly, the quail had eight air sacs , four of these were paired, cranial thoracic, caudal thoracic, and abdominal air sacs, while the singular air sacs were the interclavicular and cervical. Histological investigation confirmed that the wall of air sack composed of a delicate single layer of squamous or cuboidal epithelial cells supported by a delicate layer of connective tissue