1st Edition

Comparative Anatomy of the Mouse and the Rat A Color Atlas and Text

By Gheorghe M. Constantinescu Copyright 2018
    276 Pages 120 Color Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    Key features:

  • Beautifully illustrated with detailed, full-colour images - very user-friendly for investigators, students, and technicians who work with animals
  • Provides essential information for research and clinical purposes, describing some structures not usually shown in any other anatomy atlas
  • In each set of illustrations, the same view is depicted in the mouse and the rat for easy comparison
  • Text draws attention to the anatomical features which are important for supporting the care and use of these animals in research
  • Endorsed by the American Association of Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS)
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    Comparative Anatomy of the Mouse and Rat: a Color Atlas and Text provides detailed comparative anatomical information for those who work with mice and rats in animal research. Information is provided about  the anatomical features and landmarks for conducting a physical examination, collecting biological samples, making injections of therapeutic and experimental materials, using imaging modalities, and performing surgeries.

    Body Regions. Juvenile Features and Sex Differentiation. External Features. Mammary Glands. Structures of the Head and Neck. Heart, Vascular Tree, and Respiratory Tract. Abdominal Structures. Male Urogenital Apparatus. Female Urogenital Apparatus. Pelvic Limb Vessels and Nerves. Structures of the Tail. Skeletal Structures

    Biography

    Dr. G. M. Constantinescu investigates the gross anatomy of domestic and laboratory animals in general, focusing on the locomotor apparatus, the peripheral and autonomic nervous system, as well as on the anatomical nomenclature. The latter work was used to write and illustrate two sections of the “Illustrated Nomina Anatomica Veterinaria.” He is one of the five members of the Editorial Committee for the 5th edition of the Nomina Anatomica Veterinaria, and the only one representing the two Americas. In addition, he maintained his interest in the areas of congenital malformations in mammals and animation in cardiology. Dr. G. Constantinescu is also a medical illustrator; he wrote and illustrated his own books “Clinical Dissection Guide for Large Animals” and “Guide to Regional Ruminant Anatomy Based on the Dissection of the Goat” and “Clinical Anatomy for Small Animal Practitioners”, the last one translated into Portuguese, Japanese and French. As co-author he contributed with text, and illustrated several other books in English and in Romanian, some published, others in press.

    As the title suggests, this is an in-depth anatomy textbook. It is ring bound, so it lies flat and fits nicely on a mayo stand in surgery, or on a counter during a postmortem evalu- ation. This book is visually appealing as it has many detailed, well- done, full color drawings of mouse and rat anatomy throughout. Topics are covered that I didn't expect, such as the detailed section on Juvenile Features, which includes drawings of mouse and rat pups at < 24 hours, 5 days, 11 days, 21 days, and adult, explaining how you would sex each species at each age. This book is endorsed by the American Association of Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS), and the value of this book for laboratory animal veterinarians is clear. I do, however, feel that this book could also be a valuable resource for clinical practitioners. As an exotic animal veterinarian, for example, I was very interested to see the detailed drawings of the mammary glands. Mammary gland tumors are a common issue in mice and rats, so it is good to be able to appreciate how far that tissue extends from the ventral area and the actual papillae. Many of the other sections would be useful in establishing the locations of structures for radiographs, surgery, sample collection, catheter placement, etc.

    Overall, I found this book to be very interesting, visually appealing, and a detailed exploration of the anatomy of the mouse and rat, with the differences between the species clearly highlighted in the text. This textbook would be a useful reference for laboratory animal veterinarians and exotic animal practitioners.

    Reviewed by Teresa Bousquet, DVM, Park Veterinary Centre, Alberta for The Canadian Veterinary Journal, March 2019.