Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Veterinary Medicine - Department of Histology and Cytology

This study was conducted on (6) apparently healthy adult ostrich (Struthiocamelus) of both sexes.The stomach of ostrich was consisted of proventriculus (glandular stomach), gizzard (muscular stomach) and pyloric region which was a narrow small area connecting the stomach to the duodenum.The proventriculus was a dilated sac which divided into papillary and non-papillary regions.The mucosa of the proventriculus was thrown into plica and sulci which were lined by simple columnar epithelium changed into simple cuboidal at the base of the folds.These cells appeared to reacted strongly to PAS, alcian blue (pH 1& 2.5). But, it showed mild reaction with the aldehyde fuchsine. Tubulo-alveolar deep glands were housing the tunica submucosa and were lined by high cuboidal cells. At the ultrastructural level, these glands were lined by oxynticopeptic cells, which were demarcated into light and dark cells. Enteroendocrine cells were recognized as a closed type cells.The gizzard was a biconvex structure. It was subdivided into a body (middle part) and two sacs, cranial and caudal.The tunica mucosa was covered by a thick cuticular membrane called koilin membrane.The mucosal surface was folded and invaginated at regular intervals forming gizzard pits.These folds were lined by simple columnar epithelium and in cranial and caudal sacs the columnar epithelium changed into cuboidal at the base of the folds. The lamina propria contained branched tubular glands which opened at the base of the gizzard pits

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