Avian Reproductive System🐣 Flashcards
What is a Phallus?
- A copulatory organ (penis-like) which fills with lymph during mating to allow semen to be deposited into the female
What is a Papilae?
- Organ in the wall of the cloaca that emits semen in the cloaca of the female
What are androgens?
- Male sex hormones produced by the testes
What are the five sections within the oviduct? (Female)
- Infundibulum
- Magnum
- Isthmus
- Uterus
- Cloaca
What is the function of the Infundibulum?
- Receives egg and where fermentation takes place
What is the function of the magnum?
- Secretes albumen
What is the function of the Isthmus?
- Adds the shell membrane
What is the function of the uterus?
- Secretes shell and pigment
What is the function of the cloaca?
- Where the egg and waste leave the body
What does the male reproductive system consist of?
- Testes- (located in the abdominal cavity)
- Epididymis- (where sperm is stored)
- Vas Deferens- (Transport sperm)
- Papillae- (emits semen into cloaca)
- Cloaca- (passageway)
What does the avian egg consist of?
- Albumen- (‘egg white’)
- Shell- (gas exchange)
- Inner and outer shell membrane- (protection against bacteria)
- Yolk- (nutrients)
- Chalaza- (stands that holds yolk)
- Air cell- (gaseous exchange)
What are incubation periods for certain types of avian species?
- Pheasant - (23-24 days)
- Duck- (28 days)
- Chicken- (21 days)
- Barn owl - (31 days)
What can egg production be affected by?
- Photoperiods
- Diet
- Moulting
- Food availability
- Temperature
- Health
Explain the function of the yolk
- Provide nutrients for the developing embryo
Explain the function of the albumen
- Additional nutrition to support the growth of the embryo
Describe how photoperiod affects egg production in chickens
- Reduced daylight- reduces egg production
- Increased daylight- increases egg production
- Increased levels of hormones- stimulates egg released
Explain one role of extraembryonic membranes in an egg
- Yolk sac- used as a food source for the embryo
- Amnion- forms a sac which protects the embryo
How many functional ovaries does an adult female chicken have?
- One
Name the parts of the avian Oviduct
- Infundibulum- receives egg where fertilisation takes place
- Magnum- secretes albumen
- Isthmus- adds the shell membrane
- Uterus- secretes the shell and pigment
- Cloaca- where the egg and waste leave the body
Where is the site of fertilisation in a chicken?
- Infundibulum
Explain four factors that affect egg production in chickens
- Availability of light (photoperiod)
- Diet (poor nutrition)
- Age (egg production may slow down with age)
- Housing (temperature and health)
What are the components within the avian egg and structure ?
- Chalaza- (spiral strands that hold the yolk in place)
- Inner and outer membrane- (made of proteins)
- Yolk - (nutrition as the embryo forms)
- Air cell- (A gap between the shell membranes)
- Shell- (made of calcium and protects)
- Albumen - (‘egg white’)
What happens during the cloacal kiss?
- The male and female both possess a cloaca
- During cloacal copulation, the two are pressed together to allow the passing of sperm to the female tract
What are the structures within the avian egg?
- Chalaza- (spiral strands that hold the yolk in place)
- Inner and outer membranes- (made of protein between the shell and albumen, effective defence against bacteria)
- Yolk- (yellow part of the egg; provide food and nutrition as the embryo forms)
- Air cell- (gap located between the shell membranes)
- Shell- (made of calcium carbonate, designed to protect the developing chick, stops toxins from entering shell, semi permable to allow gas exchange)
- Albumen- (known as ‘egg white’ and contains a variety of different proteins)
What are the structures within the extra embryonic membrane?
- Chorion- (surrounds the egg and allows for gaseous exchange)
- Allantois- (develops a large circulatory system which allows for respiratory, excretory and digestive function)
- Yolk sac- (used as a food source for the embryo but also the chicken after hatching)
- Amnion- (forms a sac which protects the embryo and holds the amniotic fluid acting as a shock absorber)
Name the part of the avian oviduct with their times
- Infundibulum- (15 mins)
- Magnum- (3 hrs)
- Isthmus- (1 hr)
- Uterus- (21hrs)
- Cloaca- (1 min)
Explain how the egg is formed through each stage of the oviduct
- The yolk (ovum) is released from the ovary into the Infundibulum
- The ovary spends 15 minutes in the Infundibulum, where it is fertilised by sperm if the female has mates
- The fertilised (or unfertilised) ovum moves into the magnum, where the albumen is deposited and layered over the yolk in approximately 3 hours
- Inner and outer shell membranes are then added in the isthmus where the egg stays around for an hour
What is the role of the yolk?
- Provides a food source for the developing embryo
What is the role of the albumen?
- Additional nutrition to support the growth of the embryo
Describe how photoperiod affects egg production in chickens
- Reduced daylight leads to reduced egg production
- Increased daylight leads to increased egg production
