Development of the sense organs of the domestic cat (Felis catus) Linnaeus, 1798

• Grant number: 18/20925-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2019
• End date: April 30, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Maria Angelica Miglino
• Grantee: Mariani Rodrigues Kolecha
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The sense organs are constituted by the eyes, ears, nasal cavity and tongue. These organs play as their main function the transformation of external stimuli into nerve impulses, which are essential to the maintenance of life. They originate from the lateral mesoderm layer of somatopleura, their development occurs in an orderly way in the forming organism. Currently the embryonic data of these organs are described only under an overview, thus lacking specific data on the formation of these structures. Cats have the second largest population worldwide and are frequently affected by diseases affecting the organs of sense, so new information is needed in the field of embryonic development to provide data that may contribute to treatments and research in the clinic of these animals. In this way, the objective of this work is to analyze the main structures of the embryonic and fetal development of sense organs in cats. For this, samples of several gestational phases will be collected in elective castration campaigns from the city of Embu das Artes, SP. Embryos and fetuses will be fixed, dissected, processed and analyzed by routine laboratory techniques. Subsequently the structures will be described macro and microscopically. With this, it is expected to standardize the formation of sense organs during gestational development, and that at the end of the gestational period all structures are fully formed.