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First published online October 7, 2005
Journal of Experimental Biology 208, 3987-3995 (2005)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2005
doi: 10.1242/jeb.01817

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Functional and structural optimization of the respiratory system of the bat Tadarida brasiliensis (Chiroptera, Molossidae): does airway geometry matter?

Mauricio Canals^1,*, Cristian Atala², Ricardo Olivares³, Francisco Guajardo³, Daniela P. Figueroa¹, Pablo Sabat¹ and Mario Rosenmann

¹ Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 653, Santiago, Chile
² Departamento de Botánica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
³ Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas Animales, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile

View larger version (10K): [in a new window]   Fig. 1. (A) Scheme of a bronchial junction showing the variables measured and the method to compute geometrical (dG) and physical (dP) distances. The bifurcation angle is , d0 and l0 are diameter and length of the parent bronchi, respectively, and l1, l2, d1 and d2 are the length and diameters of the daughter branches. The sub-index `1' always indicates the lowest value. (B,C) From the measurements in A the length and diameter scaling ratios ( and d, respectively) and the length Lr and diameter Dr symmetry ratios were computed: =[(l1+l2)/2]/l0); d=[(d1+d2)/2)/d0]; Lr=l1/l2; Dr=d1/d2. (A,B) From these measurements one point in the physical domain and one point in the geometrical domain were obtained (open circles in B and C, respectively). Geometrical and physical Euclidean distances are represented by the lines between the open circle and the optimum points (solid circle) in each domain.

View larger version (90K): [in a new window]   Fig. 2. (A-D) Different phases of the bronchial tree filling of Tadarida brasiliensis with contrast medium (barium sulfate).

View larger version (171K): [in a new window]   Fig. 3. Electronic microscopic image (30 000x) of the air–blood barrier of Abrothrix andinus. Scale bar, 1 µm.

View larger version (168K): [in a new window]   Fig. 4. Electronic microscopic image (12 000x) of the air–blood barrier of Abrothrix olivaceus. Scale bar, 1 µm.

View larger version (167K): [in a new window]   Fig. 5. Electronic microscopic image (20 000x) of the air–blood barrier of Tadarida brasiliensis. Scale bar, 1 µm.

View larger version (14K): [in a new window]   Fig. 6. Distance from the physical optimum (dp) for bifurcations in the proximal and distal zone of the airway of the rodents Abrothrix andinus, A. olivaceus and the bat Tadarida brasiliensis. Different letters indicate significant differences, from SNK multiple comparison test, at =0.05 level.

View larger version (15K): [in a new window]   Fig. 7. Scaling ratio (d) for bifurcations in the proximal and distal zone of the airway of the rodents Abrothrix andinus, A. olivaceus and the bat Tadarida brasiliensis.