The Growth of Chicken Lymphoid Organs, Testes, and Adrenals in Relation to the Oxidation State and Concentration of Adrenal and Lymphoid Organ Vitamin C

THE bursa of Fabricius, the thymus, and the spleen are among the more rapidly developing organs in the bird. The growth rate of the bursa has been described in detail by Glick (1956), but those of the chicken's thymus and spleen have not been extensively studied. Because some of the necessary background information for lymphoid tissue growth rates in intact cockerels have never been obtained, the growth of the bursa, thymus, and spleen were followed until age involutions began. The changes in testicular, comb, and adrenal weights, in the growing cockerels were also followed since the steroids secreted by these endocrine organs (testosterone and corticosterone) are known to affect lymphoid organ growth (Dougherty, 1952). The concentration of vitamin C in the lymphoid organs and adrenals of the different age cockerels was also determined because of the possible participation of this vitamin in developmental processes (Rinaldi, 1951; Backstrom, 1956, 1957). By . . .