Macrostructure differences of polar fox and dog lungs

• Published in: The Anatomical Record
• Main Authors: Voyevoda, T. V., Shishkin, G. S., Valitskaya, R. I., Umantseva, N. D.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1992
• Subjects: polar fox
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ar.1092340110; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Far.1092340110; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ar.1092340110

Abstract The lungs of the polar fox and dog have the typical form and lobular structure characteristic of beasts of prey. Both display secondary fusion of the cranial and middle lobes in the left lung, but this is more extensive in the fox. A consistent relationship between the beast body mass and the mass and volume of the lungs is present. The relative weight of dog lungs independent of body size (weight index) is 1.7 times that of the polar fox. In the latter the parenchyma is much more subdivided than in the dog. There are 23 segments per lung pair in the polar fox, compared to 19 in the dog. Although these are of unequal size throughout the lungs of both species, corresponding segments in the fox are about half as large as those in the dog. The greater segmentation of polar fox lungs may be of assistance in restricting the spread of inflammatory processes. © 1992 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.