title: Development of the Liver in Alpaca (Vicugna pacos): A Microscopic and Macroscopic Description.
abstract: South American camelids have several biological, morphological and behavioural adaptations that allow them to live in geographical areas dominated by high altitudes. The liver has hematopoietic functions during the prenatal life, which could be modified in response to the unfavorable habitat. However, there are no previous data on the prenatal development of the liver in these species. In the present work, a study on the macroscopic and microscopic morphology of the liver of the alpaca during ontogeny was performed. Forty-one animals ranging in age from 20 days of embryonic development to adults were studied. Macroscopic and microscopic observations were performed on samples subjected to different techniques. Less than 7-g specimens were studied with stereoscopic magnifying glass. The general characteristics of the prenatal liver are similar to those of other mammals, and the structures related to hematopoietic function follow an ontogenic pattern similar to that of previously studied precocial species. However, there are differences in morphology when compared to descriptions for the Old World camelids, including the absence of relation between the caudate lobe and the right kidney and the lack of interlobular connective tissue.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Anatomía y Laboratorio de Histología de la Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Campus Universitario (7000), Tandil, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: A N C
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Anatomía y Laboratorio de Histología de la Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Campus Universitario (7000), Tandil, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Domínguez
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Anatomía y Laboratorio de Histología de la Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Campus Universitario (7000), Tandil, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Gómez
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Anatomía Animal y Laboratorio de Histología de la Facultad de Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Av. Honorio Delgado 430, Urbanización Ingeniería, San Martín de Porres, Lima, Perú
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Mendoza Torres
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Anatomía Animal y Laboratorio de Histología de la Facultad de Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Av. Honorio Delgado 430, Urbanización Ingeniería, San Martín de Porres, Lima, Perú
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Llerena Zavala
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Anatomía y Laboratorio de Histología de la Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Campus Universitario (7000), Tandil, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Ghezzi
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Histología y Embriología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 60 y 118, La Plata, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Barbeito
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002161:Camelids, New World / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000196:embryology*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D007668:Kidney / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008099:Liver / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000196:embryology*; D008853:Microscopy / Q000662:veterinary*