Number of left ventricular chordae tendineae in Primates
Grzybiak, M.
Folia Morphologica 41(4): 483-492
1982
ISSN/ISBN: 0015-5659 PMID: 6820652 Document Number: 189612
This study was carried out on formalin-alcohol fixed hearts of various species of Prosimiae [Lemur macaco, L. bruneus, L. varius, and Nycticebus coucang], Platyrrhina [Leontocebus rosalia, Cebus capucinus, C. apella, Saimiri sciureus, Ateles ater, A. geoffroyi and Alouatta] and Catarrhina [Macaca mulatta, Papio cynocephalus, Cercopithecus aethiops, C. mitis]. The number of left ventricular chordae tendineae shows a remarkable variability in particular groups of the studied Primates as well as within 1 species. This refers as well to the number of initial attachments of chordae tendineae (to papillary muscles) as to that to various parts of the bicuspid valve. Apparently, in the series of Primates from Prosimiae to Anthropomorphae [Symphalangus syndactylus, Pan troglodytes] the number of the divisions of chordae tendineae increases. The number of terminal attachments also increases, particularly that of chordae attached to the ventricular surface of the valve. The number of chordae tendineae at their initial attachment is generally low in Prosimiae, rises in Platyrrhina, and still more in Catarrhina; in the latter group it is the highest in Anthropomorphae.