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3454

COMPARATIVE LIGHT AND SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC STUDIES ON THE TONGUE OF THE NILE CROCODILE, CROCODYLUS NILOTICUS AND THE DESERT FAT SAND RAT, PSAMMOMYS OBESUS

Article

Last updated: 01 Jan 2025

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Tags

Fisheries

Abstract

The dorsal lingual surface of the Nile crocodile, Crocodylus niloticus, a carnivorous freshwater reptilian animal and the desert fat sand rat, Psammomys obesus, a herbivorous mammal, were examined by the light and Scanning Electron microscopes. Filiform (Fl), fungiform (FU) and circumvallate papillae (CI) were observed in the tongue of the Nile crocodile while the sand rat tongue contained only, (Fl) and (FU) papillae. In the crocodile the fungiform papillae were scattered in clusters among the filiform ones and contained taste buds. In the fat sand rat, however, the filiform papillae were densely
distributed all over the dorsal surface of the lingual body and flowershaped (FU) papillae were scarcely found in between. Histologically, the dorsal lingual epithelium revealed differences between the two animals. In the crocodile it consisted of a stratified squamous epithelium while in the fat sand rat it consisted of a keratinized stratified squamous epithelium. Taste buds were found in the lingual epithelium of the crocodile but completely absent in that of the fat sand rat. The lingual submucosa of the crocodile contained a network of melanophores and numerous lymphocytic aggregations which were
completely absent in that of the fat sand rat. The mucous glands were present in the ventral lingual mucosa of the fat sand rat but completely absent in that of the crocodile. The tongue of the crocodile was supported by a cartilaginous rod which was longer than that of the fat sand rat. It may be concluded that the histological differences between the tongues of both Crocodylus niloticus and Psammomys obesus, obviously reflect their carnivorous and herbivorous modes of feeding respectively. 

DOI

10.21608/ejabf.1999.3454

Keywords

Light and scanning microscopy tongue, Nile crocodile, desert, fate sand rat

Authors

First Name

Ragaa

Last Name

EI-Deeb

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Department of Zoology, Faculty of science, Ain Shams University, Egypt

Email

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City

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Orcid

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First Name

Suzan

Last Name

Abd EI-Aziz

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Department of Zoology, Faculty of science, Ain Shams University, Egypt

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City

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Orcid

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Volume

3

Article Issue

4

Related Issue

596

Issue Date

1999-06-01

Receive Date

2017-06-20

Publish Date

1999-06-01

Page Start

323

Page End

345

Print ISSN

1110-6131

Online ISSN

2536-9814

Link

https://ejabf.journals.ekb.eg/article_3454.html

Detail API

https://ejabf.journals.ekb.eg/service?article_code=3454

Order

16

Type

Original Article

Type Code

103

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries

Publication Link

https://ejabf.journals.ekb.eg/

MainTitle

COMPARATIVE LIGHT AND SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC STUDIES ON THE TONGUE OF THE NILE CROCODILE, CROCODYLUS NILOTICUS AND THE DESERT FAT SAND RAT, PSAMMOMYS OBESUS

Details

Type

Article

Created At

22 Jan 2023