Comparative Investigation of Bulbus Oculi in Akkaraman and Morkaraman Sheep

Abstract

Akkaraman and Morkaraman sheep breeds constitute more than half of the sheep breeds in Turkey. The eye is one of the most complex organs of the body in humans and animals that receives and processes light impulses from the environment, converts them into electrical signals through anatomical and physiological mechanisms, and transmits them to the visual cortex of the central nervous system. Anatomical-morphometric and histological investigations of the bulbus oculi in Akkaraman and Morkaraman sheep breeds will provide reference data for veterinary sciences and human medicine where sheep are used as models. For this purpose, a total of 80 bulbus oculi, right and left, from both breeds and sexes were used in the study. For morphometric measurements, 20 parameters were evaluated. Hematoxylin and eosin-stained preparations were examined under a light microscope after routine tissue monitoring procedures for histologic examination. In the statistical evaluation of the data, it was determined that significant differences according to sex were less in Akkaraman breed than in Morkaraman breed. In the comparison between the species, it was noteworthy that the differences in females were higher. It is thought that the results of the study will provide data both to the disciplines working in the field of veterinary medicine and to different disciplines, especially ophthalmology, as sheep are frequently used as a model in human medicine.