Maquete sobre costelas e esterno de Gallus gallus

Abstract

Domestic chickens (Gallus gallus) possess several organs and structures adapted for flight, exhibiting distinct characteristics when compared to other production animals. This work was developed by students of the Animal Science Course at the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), in the subject of Introduction to Animal Anatomy (BA065), linked to the extension project "Knowing, respecting and producing birds: didactic and alternative models in the teaching and learning process". The objective of this study was to develop an alternative didactic model to demonstrate the morphology of the ribs of Gallus gallus. The ribs of birds are segmented into two parts: sternal and vertebral ribs. In general, birds have seven pairs of true ribs. In these structures, the uncinate process is observed, which consists of bony projections that extend dorsally from a rib, overlapping the adjacent rib and promoting its connection. This overlapping provides rigidity and resistance to the rib cage, allowing adequate support for the muscles responsible for flight and assisting in the bird's respiration. When analyzing the sternum, one notices the predominance of an anatomical structure called the keel (carina), a prominent bony ridge of great functional importance, as it increases the attachment area of ​​the pectoral muscles, essential for flight. The sternum is well developed, forming a broad and concave bony plate that, together with the ribs, protects the internal organs and assists in the expansion and contraction movements of the rib cage, a functional dynamic that is related to the respiratory process of birds and the flight mechanism.