Comparative Anatomy

Digestive System

Note Set 11
Chapter 13
 Digestive System

Six major subdivisions

Oral cavity

Pharynx

Esophagus

Stomach

Small & large intestine

Rectum
 Digestive System

Agnatha - straight
digestive tube
Coiled tube evolved with
lengthening of tract

Figure 11.1: Simple to complex digestive

systems.
 Oral Cavity
Begins at mouth, ends at
pharynx
Tongue in floor of cavity
Palate in roof of cavity
Primary palate
Secondary palate
Teeth

Figure 11.2: Human oral cavity.

 Palates
Primary palate in
anamniotes- nasal
passageways empty into oral
cavity
Ex: Salamander
Secondary palate of
amniotes- extends to
pharyngeal cavity
Internal nares
Figure 11.3: Oral cavity of
amphibian (a) and mammal (b).
 Teeth
On jaws normally
Cheeks in mammals form pocket
Acrodont teeth- fish and snakes
Bicuspid- amphibians
Tricuspid- lizards
Pleurodont teeth- snakes
Thecodont teeth-
crocodilians

Figure 11.5- Types of cusps.

Figure 11.4- Cross section of jaw.
 Jaw Teeth and Cheek

Used for storage- rodents and squirrels

Modified placoid scales- sharks
Polyhyodont- permanent replacement of teeth
Diphyodont- two sets of teeth
Monophyodont- one set of teeth
 Bird Teeth

Egg caruncle- all egg layers

Not actual tooth
Structure epidermal, horny,
keratinized
On tip of snout

To penetrate egg shell

Figure 11.6: Egg caruncle of 15 day

old owlet.
 Reptilian Teeth

Egg tooth- lizards and snakes

Actual tooth
Upper jaw
To penetrate egg shell

Figure 11.7: Monitor egg tooth..

 Modifications of Snake Teeth

Aglyphous- no modifications
for venom delivery
Solenoglyphous- retractable
teeth, fangs
Proteroglyphous- fangs in front
of mouth
Opisthoglyphous- fangs in back
of mouth
Figure 11.8: Position, cross and
longitudinal sections of aglyphous (1),
opisthoglyphous (2), and solenoglyphous
(3) fangs.
 Mammalian Teeth
Incisors
For cutting
Ex: elephant tusks
Canines
For piercing
Ex: walrus tusks
Premolars & Molars
To matriculate food
Diastema- space without Figure 11.9: Mammalian teeth
specializations.
teeth; e.g., no canines
 Mammalian Teeth

Heterodont dentition
Other varieties
Homodont- all teeth the same
Bunodont- all teeth on single plain

Sectorial teeth carnassials; e.g., upper premolar and

lower molar in carnivores
 Dental Formula
Catarrhines and humans have
2-1-2-3=16 x 2 = 32 total teeth
Canines: 3-1-4-2 and 3-1-4-3
If 0 is present, diastema is present

Figure 11.10: Dental formulae.

 Tongue
Immobile in jawed fish
Fleshy in higher vertebrates
Frog- tongue shoots out and draws
back
Glandular field secretes sticky fluid
Immobile tongue- turtles, crocs,
and some birds
Flexible tongue- nectar feeding
bats and snakes
Forked tongue of snake
Figure 11.11: Jacobsons organ (sensing
apparatus) of snake and forked tongue.
 Oral Glands
Named based on location
Labial- near the lips
Palatal- near palate

Internasal

Sublingual- releases venom

Parotid- salivary gland

Submaxillary

Birds have few oral glands

Swifts Figure 11.12: Swift and nest.
 Pharynx
In embryo, exhibits series of lateral
pharyngeal pouches
Gives rise to various glands
Slits in pharyngeal region

Figure 11.13: Embryonic pharyngeal Figure 11.14: Adult regions of pharynx.

arches and oral development.
 Pharynx
Constant Features in Tetrapods
Glottis-slit to larynx
Covered by epiglottis
Eustachian tube- opening
Esophagus- opening

Pharynx further subdivided for food and air

passage
Foramen cecum- groove on back of tongue
Vestigial structure the leads to embryonic thyroid
gland
 Pharynx

Figure 11.15: (a) Upper respiratory tract of human showing pharynx regions and
(b) hyoid and larynx.
 Esophagus
Muscular tube connecting pharynx
and stomach
Can be short
Crop- specialization in birds
Outpocketing of esophagus
Used to store food

Pigeons milk

Figure 11.16: Esophagus and

crop of bird.
 Stomach
Muscular chamber
Secretes gastric juices
Different lining of stomachs
Esophageal-like epithelia
Glandular epithelia
Ruminant stomach
4 chambers: rumen, reticulum,
omasum, abomasum
Human stomach
Figure 11.17: Stomach of mammals with
Cardiac sphincter- esophagus esophageal-like epithelia in gray and glandular
epithelia in red.
meets stomach
Mostly lined with gastric epithelium
 Stomach Structure
Greater and lesser curvature
Messentaries
Greater omentum attaches along greater curvature
Lesser omentum attaches along lesser curvature

Cecum- increases surface area

2 parts in bird and crocodile stomach
Proventiculus-glandular
Gizzard- grinding mill (gastroliths)
 4-Chambered Stomachs
Rumen- food enters
Bacterial action
Reticulum- forms a bolus
Omasum- reswallowed grass
Salivary action
Abomasum- food worked out
by gastric glands

Figure 11.18: Stomach of calf.

 Small Intestine

Duodenum- 1st segment

Bile and pancreatic ducts
Jejunum and Ileum
subdivisions

Figure 11.19: Digestive tract showing

regions of small intestine.
 Small Intestine
Brunners Glands- mucous glands in duodenum
and jejunum
Peyers Patches- lymphatic nodules in ileum
Crypts of Lieberkhns- intestinal glands at base
of villi
Lacteals- within villiinterior lymphatic vessels
Transport fat molecules to circulatory system
Valve of Kirckring- increases surface area
 Small Intestine

Figure 11.20: Histology of alimentary canal of a mammal

showing various glands of small intestine.
 Large Intestine
Fish and amphibians - straight and short
Amniotes- divided into colon and rectum

Ileocecal valve- allows passage from small intestine

into large
Sigmoid flexure- S-shaped region
at rectum
Cecum- aids in absorption
Terminates at vermiform appendix
Cloaca- common chamber for
digestive, urinary, and reproductive
products to empty (includes monotremes)
Figure 11.21: Large intestine of human.
 Liver
Liver is diverticulum of primitive gut
Liver produces bile
Bile stored in gallbladder
Common bile duct
Ampulla of Vater- terminal portion

Figure 11.22: Development of liver and pancreas.

 Pancreas
Pancreas diverticulum of gut
Duct of Santorini- small, dorsal pancreas
Duct of Wirsung- large, ventral pancreas
Accessory duct- large duct after small, dorsal
duct disappears
Exocrine and endocrine glands
Islets of Langerhans- endocrine glands
 Rectal gland- diverticulum in sharks
 Literature Cited
Figure 11.1, 11.3, 11.4, 11.5, 11.10, 11.15, 11.16, 11.17, 11.18 & 11.22- Kent, George C. and Robert K.
Carr. Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrates. 9th ed. McGraw-Hill, 2001.
Figure 11.2- http://www.mouth-cancer-symptoms.com/
Figure 11.6- http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/owl/2002/
Figure 11.7- http://www.proexotics.com/collection_nonPE9.html
Figure 11.8- http://www.kingsnake.com/reptilia-italia/My_HomePage_file/snakesgeneral.htm
Figure 11.9- http://www.okc.cc.ok.us/biologylabs/Documents/zoology/22
Figure 11.11- http://www2.worldbook.com/features/reptiles/html/body_senorg.html
Figure 11.12- http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/whatyoucando/attracthousemartins/index.asp
Figure 11.13- http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/342notes7.html
Figure 11.14- http://www.cortexity.com:8080/nicksblog/
Figure 11.19- http://www.yoursurgery.com/ProcedureDetails.cfm?BR=1&Proc=49
Figure 11.20- Kardong, K. Vertebrates: Comparative Anatomy, Function, Evolution. McGraw Hill,
2002.
Figure 11.21- http://www.becomehealthynow.com/popups/lrg_intest.htm