Development of the pulmonary surfactant system in non-mammalian amniotes / Sonya D. Johnston.

Abstract

Relates changes in the development of the pulmonary surfactant system in response to birth strategy, lung morphology and phylogeny in order to determine the extent of conservation in this process, by quantifying the total of phsospholipid, disaturated phospholipid and cholesterol in the lung washings of embryonic and hatchling chickens, oviparous bearded dragons and viviparous sleepy lizards, snapping turtles and green sea turtles throughout the final stages of incubation and gestation. Finds that the pattern of development of pulmonary surfactant lipids is consistent with that of mammals.