title: The respiratory epithelium of the lung in the green turtle (Chelonia mydas L.).
abstract: The chelonian lung exhibits reptilian, mammalian and avian features. The respiratory epithelium is typically vertebrate, i.e. pseudostratified columnar with cilia; gaseous exchange areas appear at all levels from the respiratory bronchi down to the alveoli. The latter are invested with a capillary network and both type I and type II cells are present. The possible functional significance of the distribution of collagen, elastic tissue, cartilage and smooth muscle is discussed.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001980:Bronchi / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D004777:Environment; D004848:Epithelium / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange; D014426:Turtles / Q000033:anatomy & histology*