A preliminary anatomical study on carotid body of Makouei sheep

The carotid is a small mass of chemoreceptorʹs and sustentacular cells that detects changes in the composition of the arterial blood. The aim of the present study was to identify the size, color, location, blood and nerve supply of the carotid body in Makouei sheep. Fourteen heads of sheep from both sexes were collected from Urmia public slaughter-house. The exact situation and nerve supply of the carotid body was determined. Before dissection, blue latex was injected into right and left common carotid arteries. All the branches of the common carotid artery and the branch supplying carotid body were investigated. This study showed that, carotid body in sheep has been situated around the muscular branch of the occipital artery. The mean weight, width and length, thickness of carotid body were 0.01 g, 0.83 mm, 1.07 mm, and 1.06 mm respectively. Blood to the carotid body was supplied by glomic artery which was a branch of occipital artery. It was innervated by herring nerve which was a branch of glossopharyngeal nerve.