Anatomia do bico e orofaringe da galinha doméstica

Abstract

The apprehension of food and how this process occurs anatomically in animals are important aspects for animal production; therefore, understanding the morphology and topography of the beak and oropharynx of the domestic chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) is essential in animal production. This video aimed to present the structures of the beak, tongue, hard palate, oropharynx, salivary glands, and papillae, highlighting curiosities and relevant information for Animal Science. This educational material in video format was developed by students of the extension project "Knowing, respecting and producing birds: didactic and alternative models in the teaching and learning process," linked to the discipline Comparative Anatomy of Domestic Animals (BA066) of the Animal Science course at the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR). In chickens, the lips and teeth are replaced by the beak, formed by the maxilla and mandible and covered by a horny layer called the rhamphotheca, divided into the rhinotheca (upper beak) and gnathotheca (lower beak). Regarding the skull bones, these birds have particularities such as the quadrate bone, the jugal arch, the pterygoid bone, and the palatine bone. Among these, the quadrate bone stands out, functioning as a movable piece in the articulation with the cranial cavity, allowing for greater beak opening and providing more agility and efficiency in capturing food. The tongue, located on the ventral floor, has a triangular shape, cartilaginous consistency, and a large number of mechanical papillae in the caudal region. Chickens only have a hard palate, which contains papillae, ridges that aid in food transport, and salivary gland openings that release mucus responsible for moistening and lubricating the food; however, salivary amylase is not present in birds. The oropharynx of chickens is a continuous region that directs food to the esophagus, playing a fundamental role in the beginning of the digestive process.