Macroscopic blood supply to the hypophysis and hypothalamus of the ostrich (Struthio camelus)

Abstract

The branching pattern of the Aa. carotes internae and the macroscopic blood supply to the hypophysis and hypothalamus of the ostrich were studied on ten dissected acrylic vascular-injected heads and ten corrosion preparations of acrylic vascular casts of the head. The A. carotis cerebralis was found to be the only source of blood supply to the hypophysis and hypothalamus. The neurohypophysis was supplied by the caudal hypophyseal and infundibular arteries. The pars distalis was supplied by portal vessels from the ventral hypothalamic region,and it also received arterial blood directly from the infundibular arteries. The hypothalamus received blood from the Aa. infundibulares, A. ventralis tecti mesencephali and A. preopticae.