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Adult and embryonic metabolism in birds and the role of shell conductance

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Book cover Respiration and metabolism of embryonic vertebrates

Part of the book series: Perspectives in vertebrate science ((PIVS,volume 3))

Abstract

The mass-specific metabolic rate (SMR) of the non-passerine avian embryo at the pre-internal pipping (pre-IP) stage is about half that predicted for an adult bird of the same body mass. It has been suggested that the typical embryo at this stage of development has an SMR which is similar to that of the incubating adult even though its body mass is ca. 15–20 times smaller (Hoyt and Rahn, 1980). The low embryonic metabolic rate at pre-IP may be set by the limit imposed on gas transport by shell conductance. Increased metabolic demand beyond pre-IP for the final hatching act cannot be met by gas diffusion through the shell without profound hypoxia; it must be satisfied by the initiation of pulmonary gas ex­change. However, the low embryonic metabolic rate at pre-IP appears to be precisely matched in each species to shell conductance so that similar air cell O2. and CO2, tensions are found across a wide spectrum of embryonic size and incubation period. These values are ca. 100 and 40 torr for \({P_{{O_2}}}\) , and \({P_{C{O_2}}}\) , respec­tively, at the pre-IP stage of development.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, N.Y., 14214, USA

    C. V. Paganelli & H. Rahn

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  1. C. V. Paganelli
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  2. H. Rahn
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, University of Adelaide, G.P.O. Box 498, 5001, Adelaide, S.A., Australia

    Roger S. Seymour

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© 1984 Dr W. Junk Publishers, Dordrecht

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Paganelli, C.V., Rahn, H. (1984). Adult and embryonic metabolism in birds and the role of shell conductance. In: Seymour, R.S. (eds) Respiration and metabolism of embryonic vertebrates. Perspectives in vertebrate science, vol 3. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-6536-2_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-6536-2_13

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-009-6538-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-6536-2

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