Morphological and ultrastructure studies of the cecum of dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius)

Abstract

The current study aimed to clarify the morphology and electron microscopic structure of the adult dromedary’s cecum (Camelus dromedarius). For measurement work, the long axis of the body, the length of the cecum, the small and large intestines of the 15 camels were used. The topography of the cecum was studied in one healthy camel fixed by formalin. Scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy were conducted in samples collected from camels immediately after slaughtering in abattoirs in Omdurman, Sudan. According to measurements, the dromedary's cecum comprised 3.2% of the length of the large intestine, 1% of the total length of the small and large intestines, and 0.10 of the body's long axis. The cecum had a diameter of 20.25 cm when it began at the cecocolic junction at the level of the 5th lumbar vertebra, but it diminished towards the apex. It was an S-shaped structure and had an apex that pointed mid-ventrally. It was located ventrally at the right side of the abdominal cavity, caudal to the abomasum, and directed caudally to the pelvic inlet. The mucosa of the cecum had been thrown into several folds, according to SEM. A layer of epithelial cells and many goblet cells covered these folds. Two different types of enterocytes and goblet cells were shown by TEM, one with light cytoplasm and the other with dark cytoplasm. In conclusion, this study indicated that the dromedary camel has a short cecum that is located in the same region as domestic animals.