Anatomy & Embryology Student Presentations’ Program DIGESTIVE TRACT OF CAMEL The main topics are: 1..mouth 2.Salivary gland 3.oesophagus 4. stomach

Although camels ruminate they are not true ruminants, as they lack the four well-defined stomachs of the ruminants; the rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum. scientistes stated that the camel has only three stomachs, compared with the bovine's four compartments. the missing compartment being the omasum, or third stomach. describes the camel as having the same four compartments as other ruminants, but with the external constrictions between the omasum and abomasum being less well defined in the camel. the llama and guagnaco

stomachs consist of only three compartments. The salivary glands of the camel have the same grouping as in cattle, but are slightly darker in colour. The arrangement of the glands, however, is different. The parotid glands are in the same position in camels as in cattle, but in camels the maxillary gland is located under the parotid gland and jugular vein and over the pharyngeal lymph glands. The gland does not extend under the throat as it does in cattle. The sublingual glands are smaller than those of cattle and are situated along the root of the tongue. The buccal glands are well developed, and have dorsal and ventral portions.

When comparing the mouth of the camel with that of cattle, the outstanding differences are the very supple lips of the camel, the long prominent papillae, and canine teeth. the rumen, contained water cells. It was assumed that these water cells were able to store water. The saclike compartments are found in the caudal part of the first compartment, the rumen. It has been suggested that the main function of this glandular region of the fore-stomach is the rapid absorption of solutes and water The suggestion that the glandular areas of the rumen are accessory salivary glands has not been substantiated. The mucous layer which covers the surface epithelium may have

a mainly protective function. The oesophagus enters the rumen.This compartment is divided by a transverse muscle pillar into a cranial and caudal sac. The second compartment, the reticulum is small and only partially separated from the first compartment. The reticulum is separated from the third compartment by a tubular sphineter. The third compartment is an elongated tubiform organ, slightly dilated at its proximal end where it …………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………

enters the fourth chamber, which its fundic and pyliric glands. The mucous membrane of the third compartment contains long folds and no laminae, as found in the typical bovine omasum. The fourth compartment, the abomasum, is small. In adult animals no folds are found.