Diaphragm: A vital respiratory muscle in mammals.

The diaphragm is a respiratory muscle that is primarily responsible for the respiratory function in normal individuals. In mammals, the diaphragm muscle has been studied from the early days of zoology, comparative and experimental anatomy, physiology, medicine, physics, and philosophy. However, even with these early advances in knowledge pertaining to the diaphragm, comprehensive morphological data on the diaphragm are still incomplete.

Morphological and ultrastructural evaluation of the golden retriever muscular dystrophy trachea, lungs, and diaphragm muscle.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a genetic disease, characterized by atrophy and muscle weakness. The respiratory failure is a common cause of early death in patients with DMD. Golden retriever muscular dystrophy (GRMD) is a canine model which has been extensively used for many advances in therapeutics applications.

Diaphragm morphology of guinea pig (Cavia porcellus).

The diaphragm is the main respiratory muscle. Along with other respiratory muscles, the diaphragm is responsible for the muscular contraction that generates the respiratory cycle and, as a consequence, the gaseous interchanges in the lungs. Guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus Linnaeus 1758) are largely used as experimental animals in many biology applications due to their easy management, low cost, and docile behavior.