Vol. 10, Special Issue 12 (2021)

Author(s):
Satish Kumar, Shailja Bansal, Pawan Kumar and Ravi Kumar

Abstract:
The purpose of the present study to investigate the microscopic structure of the hard palate and oropharynx with the help of scanning electron microscope. The roof of oropharynx was formed by the hard palate. The oropharynx and palate was the first area for food selection and intake which was vital to the nutrition and growth of the bird and therefore its commercial viability. A common oropharyngeal cavity was observed that had no clear demarcation between the oral and pharyngeal cavities. The hard palate which was bounded on either side by maxillary ramphotheca. The anterior most portion of the hard palate constituted the upper beak. No obvious morphological distinction could be made between the oral cavity and the pharynx and both cavities formed a common chamber. The hard palate presented a median swelling, from the caudal end of which the lateral palatine ridges were diverging caudally and medially. On either side of the median palatine ridge, the lateral palatine ridge extended to the whole length of the palate. The anterior most portions of these orbital folds were united with each other. At the point of union the different rows of papillae were observed. These orbital folds presented transversely arranged rows of papillae which were of varying shapes and size. These rows of papillae were separated from each other by the smooth surface of the palate where these papillae were absent. The transversely oriented papillae extended up to the lateral margin of the palatine cleft and thus presented the corrugated appearance of the cleft. A large sized longitudinal groove extended up to the level of large sized papillae on either side of the orbital fold of the hard palate where the openings of the lateral palatine glands were present.