ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights features of avian anatomy and physiology that are relevant to the clinician. Without a basic understanding of anatomy and physiology, it becomes difficult to understand the pathophysiology of disease and how treatment will affect the patient as a whole. Avian skin is attached both to the underlying muscles and, more tightly, to the skeleton. It consists of the thin epidermis and the thicker underlying dermis. The unique structure of avian skin is the feathers. The colour of feathers is the result of the combination of pigments and feather structure. Carotenoids or psittacins create the foreground colour. Melanins are the grey pigments that create the background and also the foreground colour. Bones serve two major functions: they provide structural support for the muscular system and they act as a reservoir for calcium and phosphorus. The blood supply to bones arises from periosteal, medullary, metaphyseal and epiphyseal vessels.
