ABSTRACT
Objective: The objective of this study was to study chick heart at different stages of development to serve as a normal baseline
Study Design: Descriptive study
Place and duration: Department of Anatomy, Islamabad Regional Centre of College of Physician and Surgeon, Pakistan from February 2006 to February 2007
Methodology: Ninety chicken eggs were divided into three groups based on the day of sacrifice. Group 1 and 2 were sacrificed at day 7 and 10 of incubation respectively, and group 3 on hatching or day 22 whichever was earlier
Results: At day 7 all the heart chambers were formed along with atrioventricular valves; however semilunar valvular cusps had rounded primordia. Elastic fibres could not be stained in great vessels of day 7 hearts in contrast to day 10 and newly hatched chick hearts where elastic fibres were well stained. In a newly hatched chick heart the semilunar valvular cusps were thin and slender
Conclusion: Chick heart is a useful tool to study the effects of external teratogens on developing heart