Abstract
The ultrastructural difference of the alimentary tract of the insectivore, Scincus scincus and the carnivore, Natrix tesstellata was described by using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The oesophagus of S. scincus with many prominent longitudinal folds while in N. tessellata it has many primary longitudinal folds and secondary ramification. The oesophageal epithelium of both species has numerous goblet cells. The mucosal epithelial cells in both species contain large nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, lysosomes and some vacuoles. Stomach had a meshwork of primary folds in S. scincus and it forms various folds forming many discrete, irregular pockets in N. tessellata. The mucosal cells in the stomach of S. scincus have many secretory granules while in N. tessellate it provided with numerous mucinogen granules in the gastric columnar cells. In S. scincus, the intestinal mucosa with many primary folds but it appeared as longitudinal secondary mucosal folds in Zig-Zag pattern enclosing a number of concavities in N. tessellata. The intestinal mucosal cells in both species consisted of regularly formed microvilli. There were numerous goblet cells in the intestine of both species. In conclusion, structural variation of the alimentary tract in the two species examined was related to difference in feeding habits.
Highlights
The digestive system is as important as food is to survival in animals
SEM observation showed that, the oesophageal mucosal surface in S. scincus was provided with many prominent longitudinal folds leaving long furrows in between them
The structural organization of the digestive system of reptiles is similar to higher vertebrates
Summary
The digestive system is as important as food is to survival in animals. The anatomical characteristics of this system are dependent upon the food, habitat and nutritional status of the organism [1]. The digestive system contains all the structures present in other higher vertebrates, from the oral cavity to the cloaca. The first vertebrates to adapt completely too the terrestrial life, the oesophagus shows adaptive modifications from group to group, the stomach varies in shape and the intestine may be highly convoluted as in turtles or relatively straight as in snakes to facilitate absorption, secretion and excretion [3,4,5,6]. The ultrastructural studies of the Gastrointestinal tract have been widely used to provide a detailed anatomical description that betters to understanding the operation of this system as in Typhlopid Snake Rhamphotyphlops Braminus and Scincus scincus [7,8]. Carrassón & Matallanas [9] used SEM (Scanning electron microscope) to study the digestive tract in Dentex dentex; while Imtiyaz & Ashok [10] used the same technique to examine the intestinal tract of Schizothorax curifrons
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