The Respiration Rate and Alkaline Phosphatase Activity of the Regions of the Avian Oviduct

ROMANOFF and Romanoff (1949) have reviewed our knowledge of the anatomy, histology, and physiology of the avian oviduct. There is little published information on the composition and metabolism of the oviduct. Early studies by Buckner, Martin and Peter (1925) and Common (1938) have shown that the oviduct does not store calcium. Brown and Badman (1961a) have investigated the respiration rate of whole oviduct tissue from immature chicks treated with oestrogens. The oxygen consumptions ranged from 2–4 μl/mg. dry wt./hr. depending upon the level of hormone administration. In this work segments from the whole organ were bulked before sampling for respiration studies. Recently, Taylor and Hertelendy (1960) have investigated the calcium, magnesium and citric acid contents of the various regions of the oviduct. A close relationship between calcium and citric acid was observed in different sections of the isthmus and uterus. The content of these constituents was high in the …