Prenatal Development of the Nasal Conchae (Conchae nasales) in Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

Abstract

Nasal conchae increase the surface area of these cavities, thus providing for rapid warming and hu-midification of air and by regulating nasal airflow, play a role in immune surveillance because they are the first intranasal structures to come into contact with outside air. The present study aimed to depict the Prenatal development of the rabbit nasal conchae. nasal cavity showed nerve bundles extended from the covering epithelium toward the olfactory bulb. At Day 22 : The core of fold contained the cartilaginous extension of ventral nasal conchae was clear. The cells of the olfactory mucous membrane were differentiated and the shape of the nuclei of its cells was tapered in the basal cell layer or rounded or oval in the intermediate layers. At Day 25 : The ethmoidal conchae had primary and secondary branches housing in between ethmoidal meatuses. The top of the ethmoidal conchae was capped by olfactory epithelium