The histology of the stomach of Tilapiu niloricu (Linnaeus) collected from the R. Nile (Ismailia fork in Egypt) was examined using light microscopy and scanningelectron microscopy. The study revealed that the gastric wall is composed of several tunicae: mucosa, submucosa, muscularis and serosa. The tunica mucosa is thrown up into a number of high longitudinal folds projecting into a lumen which is stellate in cross-section when empty. The mucosal surface has a mosaic appearance due to the hexagonal borders of the surface epithelial cells. The latter cells are characterized by the presence of a juxtanuclear vacuole and a PAS-positive brush border made of microvilli.Gastric pits (foveolae) are present as invaginations of the mucosal surface. The foveolar epithelium secretes neutral and acid mucins. Simple, straight, tubular unbranched gastric glands occupy most of the depth of the mucosa, and are lined with a single type of cell which has eosinophilic granules. Gut-associated lymphoid tissue (mainly lymphocytes, macrophages and eosinophilic granulocytes) is concentrated on the sides of the lamina muscularis mucosa and especially in the cores of the mucosal folds. The muscular coat consists of two or three layers entirely made up of smooth muscle cells.

The present investigation examined histogenesis of epithelial, stromal and angiogenic elements of the prenatal camel permanent or metanephric kidney. The primitive metanephros was first observed at the 13-mm crown vertebral rump length (CVRL) stage as an ovoid structure composed of a centrally located epithelial ureteric bud and peripheral circumscribed masses of undifferentiated mesenchymal cells. The first morphological evidence of glomerulogenesis was observed at the 28-mm CVRL stage. Developing renal corpuscles became obvious at the 35-mm CVRL stage. At the 60-mm CVRL stage, the epithelial renal pelvis gave rise to tubular branches that extended towards the cortical zone. These branches represented the presumptive collecting ducts. Differentiation of renal tubules into the proximal and distal convoluted tubules was observed at the 95-mm CVRL stage. At the 130-mm CVRL stage, the renal medulla was clearly delineated into medullary pyramids, which in association with the corresponding cortical caps formed the morphological basis of the renal lobar formation. A gradual nephrogenic decline was noticed from the 940-mm CVRL on; however, the process of nephrogenesis persisted throughout all the studied foetal stages.

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In this study, we conducted a light microscopic and ultrastructural analysis of the integument of the one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius). In general, the epidermal strata of the camel integument appeared typical of those found in non-desert mammals. Two cell populations were noted in the stratum basale: one with a flat, non-serrated base and the other with a highly serrated base. Typical fine structure was observed in keratinocytes of the stratum spinosum and stratum granulosum. The stratum corneum was six to 10 cells thick. Within the different strata, overall cell morphologies and the general distribution and relative abundance of cellular organelles appeared typical. Dermal features included the presence of myoepithelial cells surrounding apocrine tubular glands. Inter- or intracellular canaliculi within the secretory cells of the apocrine glands, reported to be present in certain other non-desert mammals, were not evident in the camel. Together, these data indicate that while the camel is clearly adapted for a desert lifestyle, these adaptations do not include significant specializations at the cellular or subcellular level in the integument.