J Korean Bal Soc.  2004 Dec;3(2):379-385.

Chicken Embryo as a Model of Inner Ear Study

• Han GC
• Lee YK
• Yoon JH
• Min KK
• Lee JH

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:Nowdays, numbers of patient who suffers from inner ear disease are increased and we need to completely understand about inner ear anatomy and embryology. But we have many problems to use human itself as a model, so it is difficult for us to study. Instead of using human as a model, recent days, many doctors use mammalians and birds. In this study, we used chicken embryo as a model whose inner ear was thought to be similar with human's inner ear and we made effort to get inner ear images by light microscope. MATERIALS AND METHOD:We incubated Gallus domesticus in auto-incubator for 12days. In each embryonic day (4th to 12th days), we got the chicken embryo and made paraffin block. Next, with micro-tomb, we made slice section and fixed to slide. Using micro-digital camera system, we took the picture of the inner ear of chicken embryo.
RESULTS
We observed the structures of inner ear of chicken embryo from 4th embryonic day to 12th embryonic day. In 4th day and 5th day, we could not get the definite clear image. But from 6th to 12th day, we got the clear images of utricle, saccule, semicircular canals, etc. In several micro-section methods, making oblique coronal section was showed the best images of inner ear.
CONCLUSION
This study was the start point of chicken inner ear embryology and anatomy. Hereafter, we should make the deeper study about chicken inner ear with these results and investigate the genetic and extrinsic factors which influence to inner ear disease. So we should solve the fundamental problem of inner ear disease based on this study

Keyword

Chicken; Inner ear; Embryo

MeSH Terms

Birds
Chickens*
Ear, Inner*
Embryology
Embryonic Structures*
Humans
Labyrinth Diseases
Paraffin
Saccule and Utricle
Semicircular Canals
Paraffin