Histologic Description of the Different Segments from the Ostrich Digestive System (Struthio Camelus Var. Domesticus) / Descripcion Histologica de Los Diferentes Segmentos Del Aparato Digestivo de Avestruz (Struthio Camelus Var. Domesticus)‪.‬

ILLANES, J.; FERTILIO, B.; CHAMBLAS, M.; LEYTON, V. & VERDUGO, F. Histologic description of the different segments from the ostrich digestive system (Struthio camelus domesticus). Int. J. Morphol., 24(2):205-214, 2006. SUMMARY: The rapid expansion and development of the ratites upbringing, it has implied scientific challenges and technicians to face this new type of farms systems in Chile. The ostrich (Struthio camelus var. domesticus), is an herbivore bird, forages eater and highly selective that present likeness and differences, with other birds and herbivores, among them the ruminant ones. Enough envelopes their gastrointestinal anatomy is known, however its histology has not been investigated in depth. For this analysis it was obtained samples of the different segments of the tubular digestive tract of 6 clinically healthy ostriches. They were processed according to the techniques of average histology and analyzed to the optic microscope. The ostrich show an esophagus with longitudinal pleats in all their extension and in the mucosa there are simple and branching tubulosaccular glands. The proventriculus (glandular stomach) present a simple and branching tubular glands in the mucosa and compound tubulosaccular glands in the submucosa; a reinforcement of parallel bundles the compact tissues between the serous and the external longitudinal muscle. A small intestine with abundant villis and without paneth cells. The cecum in his luminal face, present a spiral pleat. The histological comparative analysis, allowed to establishing that the basic structure of the wall of the tubular digestive tract is similar to described in other species.