Vertebrate

Digestive Tract
Phylogeny of the Digestive Tube

Topic Outline
Overview
Components of the Digestive Tract
Development of the Digestive Tract
Evolution of the Digestive Tract
Buccal Cavity or Mouth
Pharynx
Alimentary Canal
Associated Glands for Digestion

An Overview

COMPONENTS AND DEVELOPMENT

OF THE DIGESTIVE TRACT

Components of the Digestive Tract

Figure 13.1 Kardong K.2012

Development of the
Digestive Tract

Sources: (up) Figure 13.2 Kardong K.2012 and (down) and http://www.n3wt.nildram.co.uk/embryo/early.html

Buccopharyngeal Membrane

A - Low power ventral view of the buccopharyngeal membrane

B - Higher power ventrolateral view of the buccopharyngeal membrane
C - Close up view of the degenerating buccopharyngeal membrane
Source: http://php.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php?title=BGD_Lecture_-_Face_and_Ear_Development

Cloacal Membrane

Sources: (left) http://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/Medicine/BGDlabGIT_2.htm and (right)

http://php.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php?title=BGDB_Gastrointestinal_-_Trilaminar_Embryo

Development of the Digestive Tract

Figure 13.2 Kardong K.2012

Development of the Digestive Tract

Figure 13.2 Kardong K.2012

Development of the Digestive Tract

Source: http://www.med.umich.edu/lrc/coursepages/m1/embryology/embryo/10digestivesystem.htm

Origin of the Digestive Tube

Section Blood Supply
Adult derivatives
Foregut Celiac artery Pharynx, lower respiratory system,
esophagus, stomach, proximal half of
duodenum, liver and pancreas, biliary
apparatus
Superior
Small intestine, distal half of duodenum,
Midgut
mesenteric cecum and vermiform appendix, ascending
artery
colon, most of the transverse colon
Left part of transverse colon, descending
Hindgut Inferior
mesenteric colon, sigmoid colon, rectum, superior part
of anal canal, epithelium of urinary
artery
bladder, most of the urethra

Source: http://www.med.umich.edu/lrc/coursepages/m1/embryology/embryo/10digestivesystem.htm

Designs and Derivative of the Digestive Tube

EVOLUTION OF THE DIGESTIVE

TRACT

Mouth
Entrance to the
digestive tract
Opens into the
Oropharyngeal cavity
in gnathostome fishes
Buccal cavity or oral
cavity in tetrapods

Figure 13.3 Kardong K.2012

Components of the
Buccal Cavity or Mouth

Source: http://www.learn-free-medical-transcription.blogspot.com/2009/02/lesson-56-oral-cavity-anatomy-and.html

Parts of the Mouth

Oral Vestibule

Vallecula

Sources: (left) http://www.studyblue.com/notes/note/n/an3-08-oral-cavity-oropharynxswallowing/deck/1201717 and (right) http://www.airwaycam.com/laryngeal-anatomy.html

Palate
Roof of the buccal
cavity
Primary palate
Forms the roof of the
oropharyngeal cavity of
fishes and oral cavity of
amphibians

Secondary palate
Formed from the palatal
folds in mammals and
crocodiles
Source: http://www.obfocus.com/reference/glossary/C.html

Palate

Figure 13.5 Kardong K.2012

Teeth
Unique among
vertebrate animals
Arises from the
neural crest cells
Bony in jawed
fishes, amphibians,
reptiles and
mammals with few
exceptions, and in
earliest birds
Figure 13.6 Kardong K.2012

Parts of the Teeth

Occlusal Surface

Cementum

Sources: (left) http://toothology201.com/pages/dx/understandingTeeth/occlusalAnatomy.html

and (right) http://www.whitetaildeer-bullseye.com/bullseye.php

Types of Dentition
Polyphyodont dentition
Teeth continuously replaced
Observed in gnathostome fishes and
reptiles

Diphyodont dentition
Two sets of teeth
Deciduous teeth (milk teeth)
Permanent teeth
With molars

Observed in mammals

Monophyodont dentition
Platypus

Tooth Appearance
Homodont Teeth

Heterodont Teeth

Sources: (left)
http://www.osceexam.com/dentanat_tour/Introduction_Dental_Anatomy/Introduction_Dental_Anatomy_print.html

and (right) Figure 34-5 Hickman C and L Roberts.2001

Specialized Teeth
Acrodont teeth
Shallow socket
Exhibited by snakes and many
teleosts

Pleurodont teeth
Attached on the medial side
Exhibited by anurans, urodeles, and
many lizards

Thecodont teeth or socket teethSource:

http://www.ucumberlands.edu/academics/biology/faculty/kuss/courses/Digestive%20
system/TeethOf%20Vertebrates.htm

Seen in many fishes, crocodiles,

Specialized Teeth

Figure 13.12 and 13.13 Kardong K.2012

Specialized Teeth:
Amphibian Pedicellate Teeth

Source: http://131.229.114.77/microscopy/Portfolios/Elizabeth/Page4.htm

Specialized Teeth in Mammals

Sources: (left) http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/prog/wildlife/carnivores.html

and (right) Figure 13.9 Kardong K.2012

Molariform Styles in Mammals

Brachydont pig
Hypsodont teeth
herbivores e.g.
horses
Bunodont teeth omnivores
Lophodont perissodactyls and
rodents
Selenodont teeth artiodactyls
Figure 13.15 Kardong K.2012

Tooth
Development
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Initiation stage
Bud stage
Cap stage
Differentiation stage
Secretion stage
Secretory stage root

1
3

Tooth Development
in Mouse

Dental Formula

Source: http://vet-science.blogspot.com/2012/01/dentition-in-sheep-and-goat.html

Tongue
Primary tongue
Without musculature
Lean hyoid elevation
Crescenic or angular
elevation at floor of
the oropharyngeal
Present in
elasmobranchs, bony
fishes, and some
amphibians
Source:
http://www.ucumberlands.edu/academics/biology/faculty/kuss/courses/Digestive%20system/TonguesOfVertebrates
.htm

Tongue
Lacking in
gnathostome fishes
Keratinized teeth in
cyclostomes
With distinct features
in reptiles and
mammals
Paired lateral swelling
Glandular field
(up)Sensory
epithelia
Sources:
Figure 26-3 Hickman
C. and L Roberts.2001 and (down)

http://www.ucumberlands.edu/academics/biology/faculty/kuss/cours
es/Digestive%20system/TonguesOfVertebrates.htm

Tongue of Reptiles and Mammals

Source: http://www.studyblue.com/notes/note/n/development-of-the-pharynx/deck/4311810

Mobile Tongue in Tetrapods

Source: (left) http://www.sleep-doctor.com/surgical-treatment-overview/tongue-region-procedures/

and http://children.webmd.com/lingual-frenulum; and (right) Figure 13.18 Kardong K.2012

Functions of
the Tongue
Holds taste buds
in tetrapods
Capable of
stereognosis
Retrieves air
and/or chemical
substrates in
Sources: (first) http://salivasaliva.blogspot.com/2012/07/tongue-problem-basics.html and (second)
lizards,
snakes,
http://www.guwsmedical.info/photo-animals/nervous-system-and-sensory-organs.html
some mammals

Functions of the Tongue

Lingual feeding
Sticky surface
holds the catch
Observed
terrestrial
salamanders,
lizards and
woodpeckers

Source: https://sites.google.com/site/amphibiansjfr/interestingfacts

Intraoral transport

Figure 13.19 Kardong K.2012

Boundaries of the
Buccal Cavity or Mouth

Figure 13.4 Kardong K.2012

Boundaries of the
Buccal Cavity or Mouth

Source: http://www.familymedschool.com/2011/09/13/anatomy-of-the-mouth/

Pharynx

Sources: (left) http://www.riversideonline.com/health_reference/Cancer/DS00756.cfm?RenderForPrint=1 and

(right) http://www.cambridgequestions.co.uk/Diagrams.aspx

Development of the Pharynx

Source: http://php.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php?title=BGD_Lecture_-_Face_and_Ear_Development

Derivatives of the Pharyngeal

Pouches

Source:
http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/ear_nose_and_throat_disorders/middle_and_inner_ear_disorde
rs/barotrauma_of_the_ear.html
Sources: (left) http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/diving-medicine/394170-ear-trouble.html and
(right) ttp://academic.kellogg.edu/herbrandsonc/bio201_McKinley/Nervous%20System.htm

Derivatives of the Pharyngeal

Pouches

Sources: (left) http://www.studyblue.com/notes/note/n/ch-20-lymphatic-system/deck/4609867 and (right)

http://www.orlandohealthdocs.com/orlandoendocrinologygroup/disorders-of-calcium-metabolism/

Derivatives of the Pharyngeal

Pouches

Source: (left) http://www.endocrinesurgery.net.au/overview/ and (right)

http://www.docticare.co.uk/pagine/Thymus-gland.aspx

Seal between Mouth and Pharynx

Sources: (left) http://www.studyblue.com/notes/note/n/exam-3/deck/1201443 and (right)

http://www.airwaycam.com/laryngeal-anatomy.html

Piriform Recess

Sources: (left)
http://academic.amc.edu/martino/grossanatomy/site/Medical/CASES/GI/pop%20ups/swallowing%20an
spop_up6.htm and (right) http://www.studyblue.com/notes/note/n/exam-3/deck/1201443

Deglutition
or
Swallowing
The three stages of
deglutition:
First stage, voluntary lip
closure and tooth
approximation.
Second stage, involuntary
peristalsis carries the bolus of
food down the esophagus; the
nasal passage and pharyngeal
airway are blocked.
Third stage, the bolus of food
passes the length of the
esophagus and into the
stomach via peristaltic waves.
From Myers, 1995

Source: http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/deglutition

Alimentary Canal

Figure 13.22. Kardong K.2012

Source: http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/342notes7.html

Development of the Alimentary

Canal

Figure 13.33 Kardong K. 2012

Figure 13.33 Kardong K. 2012

Esophagus
Connects the pharynx to
the stomach
Shortest in fishes and
neck less tetrapods

Compose of
Striated muscle at the
cephalic end
Smooth muscles on
the succeeding
section
Source: http://training.seer.cancer.gov/ugi/anatomy/esophagus.html

Esophagus
Esophageal mucosa
Lined with cilia cells
Lined with horny
papillae in marine
turtles
Composed of
stratified squamous
epithelium in
turtles, birds, and
Source: http://www.colorado.edu/intphys/iphy3415/histology/index.html
few mammals

Esophageal Sphincters

Source: http://www.epgpatientdirect.org/page.cfm/page/46/title/what%20causes%20gerd

Function of the Esophagus

Source: http://www.tarleton.edu/Departments/anatomy/deglutition.html

Modification of the Esophagus:

Crop
Paired or unpaired
diverticulum or sac
Chiefly found in grain
eaters (birds)
Serve as temporary
storage
Also found in crocodiles

Source: http://www.ca.uky.edu/poultryprofitability/Production_manual/Chapter3_Anatomy_and_Physiology/Chapter3_digestive.html

Stomach
Not definite in
agnathans
J or U shaped in
gnathostomes
Exhibits torsion
in mammals

Figure 13.30-13.31 Kardong K. 2012

Stomach
Characterized
by folds, the
rugae
With glandular
epithelium and
nonglandular
and
Nonglandular
epithelium
Source:
http://apbrwww5.apsu.edu/thompsonj/Anatomy%20&%20Physiology/2020/2020%20Exam%20Reviews/Exam%2
may occur at
03/CH23%20Stomach%20Anatomy.htm
Source: http://www.onemedicine.tuskegee.edu/DigestiveSystem/Stomach/St_Mucosa.html
the base
of

Regions of the Stomach

Cardia
Glands mostly mucussecreting
Found in mammals

Fundus
Glands: mucus-secreting,
parietal cells and chief
cells
Largest region

Pyrolus

Source: Figure 17.5 Ross M and W Pawlina. 2011

Function of the
Stomach

Functions of the Stomach

Source: http://www.hns.org.uk/bio/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=123..

Modification of the
Stomach: Twochambered Stomach

Sources: (left) http://www.earthlife.net/birds/digestion.html and (right)

http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/342notes7.html

Modification of the Stomach:

Four-chambered Stomach

Sources: (left) http://www.mun.ca/biology/scarr/Ruminant_Digestion.html

and (right) http://www.toseftaonline.org/blog/?m=20100521

Stomach and Greater Omentum

Intestine

Figure 13.25 Kardong K. 2012

Intestine of Fishes

Figure 13.29 Kardong K. 2012

Intestine of Tetrapods

Figure 13.32 Kardong K. 2012

Large Intestine
Straight in
amphibians
Forms a gentle
loop, the colon in
mammals, some
reptiles and birds
With ascending,
transverse, and
descending
Source:
colon
http://www.targetcbse.co.in/cbse-study-guides/subject-wise-study-helps/nutrition-in-human-beings

Small vs. Large Intestine

Source: http://histologytopics.blogspot.com/2011/11/digestive-system-intestine.html

Function of the
Intestine
Movement of food
through
Peristalsis in SI
Segmentation in LI
Secretion mucus and
digestive juices
Absorption of digestive
products
Figure 13.44 Kardong K. 2012
Figure 34-8 Hickman C, L Roberts
and A Larson. 2001

Cecum
Ceca beyond the
duodenum rare in fishes
and amphibians
Ceca common in
amniotes
Birds with two ceca
Mammals with ileocolic
cecum

Appendix
Present in many

Cloaca
Common chamber
that receives product
from the intestines
and urogenital tracts
Absent in most fishes
and mammals
Intestines open into
the anus.

ASSOCIATED GLANDS FOR

DIGESTION

Oral Glands
Common in tetrapods
Several in reptiles
Three in mammals

Lacking in birds

Figure 13.36 Kardong K. 2012

Salivary Glands in Mammals

Liver
Present in all
vertebrates
Long and narrow in
snakes

Produces bile and

stored in the gall
bladder
Gallbladder absent in
cyclostomes, most
birds, and few
Figure 18.1 Ross M and W Pawlina. 2011
mammals

Pancreas
Produces alkaline
pancreatic juice
Pancreatic islets
(islets of
Langerhans)
produces hormone
insulin and
glucagon
Present in all
vertebrates, both

Figure 18.19 Ross M and W Pawlina. 2011

Development of Liver and

Pancreas

Figure 13.38 Kardong K. 2012

Summary