Gross anatomical and histomorphological studies on the small intestine of Japanese Quail

Abstract

The present study was aimed to know the anatomy ( shape, length and diameter) and histology of different segment of small intestine (Duodenum, Jejunum and Ileum) of Japanese Quail. Two groups of japanese quail were studied, group one: 5 male(1 to 5) another group: 5 female(1 to 5). Gross anatomy was studied after dissection. Histomorfology was studied using Hematoxyeline eosine staining technique.

The duodenum was the first segment and was in the form of a ‘U’ shaped loop (Fig.1) The jejunum was arranged in the form of coils suspended by mesentery. Ileum was observed as a straight portion of small intestine located in between two caeca and was the shortest of all the three. The average length and diameter of small intestine of male 1, male 2, male 3, male 4, male 5 were 61.5, 54.7, 61.5, 49.0, 51.7cm and 3.7, 3.8, 3.0, 4.1, 3.9 cm and female 1, female 2, female 3, female 5 were 30.0, 33.0, 30.0, 28.0, 28.5, 33.5 cm and 3.3, 3.6, 3.3,3.3, 3.8 cm (table-1)

The histomorphological features of small intestine of quail wall contained only three tunics viz. tunica mucosa, tunica muscularis and tunica serosa. The mucosa of the small intestine was thrown into finger like projections known as villi which were finger shaped in duodenum, tongue shaped in jejunum and spatula shaped in ileum. Lamina propria formed the bulk of lumen of villus and contained connective tissue fibres and cells. The shape and pattern of intestinal glands varied in different segments and these were lined by columnar, goblet, enterochromaffin and vacuolated cells. Tunica muscularis presented inner longitudinal, middle circular and outer longitudinal smooth muscle layers.