Luminal topography of the male chicken and turkey excurrent duct system.

The luminal topography and cell surface fine structure of the chicken and turkey excurrent duct system, which consists of the epididymal region, ductus deferens, and papillae were examined. All specimens were fixed in glutaraldehyde, cryofractured or bisected with a razor, and prepared for SEM, TEM, or LM. The mucosa of the more proximal ducts in the epididymal region was highly folded and had an epithelial lining of ciliated and onociliated Type 1 cells. The other epididymal ducts and ductus deferens had low mucosal folds lined exclusively by nonciliated Type 2 cells. The only major structural differences between the excurrent duct system of the chicken and tufkey were limited to the receptaculum, a sac-like dilation of the distal ductus deferens, and the gross external structure of the papillae. Variation in the surface fine structure of the Type 1 and Type 2 cells suggests that they have secretory and nonsecretory phases.