Foul Fowl

Chicken intestines

Chicken intestines (Photo credit, Caroline Barrett)

This week I’ll inform you on a bird’s intestines, namely, the chicken’s.  A chicken’s intestines occupy the posterior (or caudal) part of the body. The small intestine is long and relatively uniform in shape and size. Interestingly, there is also no dividing line between the middle (jejunum) and final section of intestine (ileum).  The jejunum has loose coils around the mesentery.  Also, it has thin walls so its content appears green.  The short colon lies ventral to the synsacrum (fused lumbar vertebrae) and opens into the cloaca (passage for fecal material) runs ventral to (below) the vertebrae and terminates in the coprodeum (deepest part of the cloaca).  Amino acids and glucose can be absorbed here.  Two caeca (pouches at the begining of the large intestine) from the ileocaecal junction run with the ileum caudally.  And they extend towards the liver then fold back on themselves. The mesentery runs between the caeca then on towards the ileum. It often contains dark colored material. There are three parts of each caecum. It is where the bacterial breakdown of cellulose occurs.  If the intestines are healthy, chyme from the caeca are emptied a few times per day.  A bird’s digestive system is a lot different than a mammal’s.  Which would be expected, as they are foul.

To see more chicken anatomy, click here.

Interesting Absorption

Cow intestines, (photo credit,www2.ca.uky.edu/)

Cow Intestines.

I’m back!  And none the worse for wear.  Today I’m here to talk about a very interesting subject, cow intestines.  A cow’s intestines are made up of three different organs.  The small intestine, the cecum, and the Large intestine.  The small intestine measures about 20 times the length of the animal. It is composed of three sections: the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. The small intestine also receives the secretions of the pancreas and the gallbladder, which aids digestion. Most of the digestive process is completed here, and many nutrients are absorbed through the villi (small finger-like projections) and into the blood and lymphatic systems.  The cecum is a large area located at the junction of the small and large intestine where some previously undigested fiber may be broken down. Although the complete function of the cecum has not been established.  And the large intestine is the last segment of the tract through which undigested feed passes. Some bacterial digestion of undigested feed occurs, but absorption of water is the primary digestive activity occurring in the large intestine.  Isn’t it interesting how long the intestines are?  Though I imagine that it takes a lot of work to break down and get nutrients from what a cow eats.

To see more cow intestine, click here to watch my video.