Hematopoiesis in snakes (Ophidia)

Locations of the hematopoietic tissue have been described in the following ophidian species: Bothrops jararaca, Bothrops jararacusu, Waglerophis merremii, Elaphe teniura teniura, Boa constrictor, and Python reticulatus. Studies were carried out on perfusion fixed vertebrae, ribs, spleen, liver, thymus, and kidney. Routine histological technique was applied using both light and electron microscopy. Hematopoietic tissue was found in the following locations of the vertebrae: neural spine, neural arch, postzygophysis processes, hypapophysis, vertebral centre. Moreover, intense hematopoiesis was found inside the ribs. In the spleen and thymus, only lymphopoiesis was found. Hematopoietic islets in the spleen were sporadically found only in young specimens. No hematopoiesis was observed in the liver and kidney. In the studied species, there were no differences in the location of hematopoietic tissue. A new model of mature and immature blood cell release to the lumen of marrow sinuses different from that known to operate in higher vertebrates is proposed.