Tishreen University Journal for Research and Scientific Studies - Biological Sciences Series Vol. (30) No.
(1) 2008
Comparative Anatomical and Histological Studies of the
Tongue between the Egyptian Bat Pipistrillus Kuhli and
the Syrian Bat Pipstrillus Kuhli
Dr. Atteyat Selim *
Dr. Nahla, N. E.**
Dr. Maha Shelfeh ***
(Received 4 / 10 / 2007. Accepted 18/2/ )
ABSTRACT
The microscopical anatomy of the tongue of the Egyptian Pipistrillus kuhli and the
Syrian Pipistrillus kuhli are similar to that of the other mammals but with some specialized
structures .In the first specimens the tongue is characterized by the presence of numerous
filiform papillae at its dorsal surface, a moderate number of fungiform papillae and a small
number of circumvallate . In the second one the circumvallate papillae absent by using
bromophenol blue stain to detect the protein content indicate that the protein content of the
papillae of the Egyptian bat give more dense reaction than those of Syrian one .Also the
same result observed by using Periodiac acid Schiff reaction to detect with carbohydrate
content
Keywords: Microcheroptera, Vespertolionidae, Pipistrillus kuhli
*
Prof., Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science , Tanta University , Tanta , Egypt.
**
Assistant Prof., Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science , Tishreen University, Lattakia , Syria.
***
Assistant Prof., Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science , Tishreen University, Lattakia, Syria.
PIPSTRILLUS KUHLI PIPISTRILLUS KUHLI
Tishreen University Journal for Research and Scientific Studies - Biological Sciences Series Vol. (30) No. (1) 2008
PIPISTRILLUS
PIPSTRILLUS KUHLI KUHLI
kuhli Pipistrillus Pipistrillus kuhli
Pipistrillus kuhli Vespertolionidae Microcheroptera
*
**
***
Tishreen University Journal. Bio. Sciences Series 1
Introduction:
The structure of the tongue of Chiroptera drew the attention of many authors. In
Rhinopoma hardweickei and Asellia tridens , which feed on insects, the structure of the
tongue is extremely complex and the epithelium of the anterior half of the tongue is
extremely keratinized if compared with the posterior half (Madkour et al.,1988). Greten
and Philips (1974) stated that the mucous and serous glands are similar in number and size
in the two species of bats Leptonycteris Sanborni and L .nivalis. Madkour (1977)
described the tongue papillae of adult Rousettus aegyptiacu) studied the anatomy and the
histology of the tongue of one-humped camel s .Jwaski (1997) studied the morphology of
the three types of lingual papillae in the rat and showed that in fetuses at age of 12 days.
The rudiments of fungiform papillae could be observed as two rows of bulges that extend
bilaterally and parallel to the median of the anterior half of the dorsal surface of the tongue
Oakley et al.(1998) studied the morphology of the circumvallate epithelium and taste buds
and observed that on the seven days post-natal, the papillae of mutant mice are 30%
narrower and 35% of the trench walls reduced in area. Fujimoto et al.(1993) studied the
pre-natal and post-natal development of the rabbit foliate papillae taste buds and serous
glands and reported that the epithelium grows at the 22 day of prenatal development.
Belecky and Smith (1990) studied the postnatal development of palatal and laryngeal taste
buds in the hamster and reported that the taste bud population originates at different times
in various mammalian species .Jwasaki (2002) studied the evolution of the structure and
function of the vertebrate tongue and showed that the tongue which plays a very important
role in food intake exhibits significant morphological variations. Qayyum. et al.(1991
Camelus dromedarius and showed that the camel has a typical elongated mammalian
tongue which tapers to a dorsally flattened surface .Tsunekawa et al.(2005) studied the
development of spontaneous mouth/ tongue movement in fetal mice .They observed that
the movement of the head region was studied by ultrasound-imaging. Kobayashi et
al.(2005) studied the comparative morphology of the tongue and lingual papillae of the
horse .They observed that the lingual papillae are developed on the dorsal surface of the
tongue and the foliate papillae are found in the horse but not found in the goat.
Material And Methods:
Pipistrillus kuhli which is from the family Vespertolionidae from
Microchiroptera. The research was conducted in the laboratories of Faculty of Science ,
Tishreen University and Faculty of Science , Tanta University.
The specimens of the adult Egyptian Pipistrillus kuhli and the Syrian Pipistrillus kuhli
were collected alive from Abu-Rawash, Giza government and from Syrian government.
After dissecting the animals, the tongues were separated and fixed in 10% formalin , then
embedded in paraffin wax and serial sections were cut .The following stains were used to
elucidate the different histological and histochemical features .1- Hematoxylin and Eosin
for general structure 2- Bromophenol blue stain for protein content .3- Periodic Acid
Schiff (PAS) for the polysaccharides of the gland and the muscular tissue of the tongue
Results:
The tongue of the adult Egyptian Pipistrillus kuhli :
The tongue lies in the floor of the buccal cavity and is connected posteriorly by
means of the frenulum linguae. It is a muscular organ and consists of interlacing bundles of
PIPSTRILLUS KUHLI PIPISTRILLUS KUHLI
striated muscles .The muscular mass is at the ventral lower surface of the tongue and is
covered by stratified squamous epithelium:
Abbreviations
F. P . : Filiform papillae
C. P Circumvallate papillae
Fg. P : Fungi form papillae
Ms Mucous substances
M.m : Mucous membrane
M.g : Mucous gland
Mg
M.m
F.P
(Fig.1) Cross section in the tongue of the Egyptian bat
which is loosely cornified and their cells contain mucous substances that take PAS
positive reaction
F.P
M.s
( Fig. 2): which is loosely cornified and their cells contain mucous
substances that take PAS positive reaction
Tishreen University Journal. Bio. Sciences Series 1
.The dorsal surface is covered with filiform , fungiform, cornified filiform papillae.
The filiform papillae are most numerous and distributed over the dorsal anterior
portion of the tongue and consists of a slender vascular core of connective tissue covered
with cornified stratified squamous epithelium
F.P
Fg.P
(Fig. 3): The dorsal anterior portion of the tongue of the Egyptian bat
.The fungiform papillae are relatively few in number and are interspersed among the
filiform ones .They are rounded, non-cornified and broader than the base
Fg.P
a- Cross section shows fungiform papillae
PIPSTRILLUS KUHLI PIPISTRILLUS KUHLI
Fg.P
b- Papillae are rounded, non-cornified and broader than the base
(Fig.4)
The tongue of the Syrian Pipistrillus kuhli : The structure of this tongue is
different from that of the Egyptian in which the filiform papillae are present scattered
among the fungiform ones
FiP
(Fig 5) The filiform papillae scattered among the fungiform one
The fungiform papillae have broad rounded surface and a short slightly constricted
stalk ; also the cornification process is not clear. and give weak reaction with PAS stain
Tishreen University Journal. Bio. Sciences Series 1
Fg.P
(Figs.6). The cross section shows fungiform papillae have
broad rounded surface and a short slightly constricted stalk
F.P
Fg.P
(Figs.7). the cornification process is not clear. and give weak reaction with PAS stain
Discussion:
The musculature of the tongue is extremely complex; this is not surprising because
these animals feed almost exclusively by using of their tongues Greten and
Phillips, 1974). adult Egyptian Pipistrillus kuhli and the Syrian Pipistrillus In Rhinopoma
hardwickei and Ascidia tridens , which are insectivores, the epithelium of the anterior half
is more extensively keratinized than that of the posterior ones which provide the tongue
PIPSTRILLUS KUHLI PIPISTRILLUS KUHLI
with greater rigidity to be efficient for feeding (Selim,1988). In the present adult Egyptian
Pipistrillus kuhli and the Syrian Pipistrillus, the keratin is less in the anterior half ; this
may be due to the difference of feeding form insectivore to frugivore .In the pre- or post-
natal development, the keratin is less prominent ; this may be due to feeding on milk.
Abel-El naeim et al. (2002) studied the morphology of the tongue and its papillae in the
donkey Equus asinus and observed that the spatula-shaped tongues measure about 28cm
in length, 4.5 cm in breadth and 3.5 cm in thickness.. The filiform papillae are distributed
mainly on the dorsum of the tongue being thin and relatively thick at the apex while the
fungiform papillae appear scattered mainly on the lateral surface and are mostly rounded.
This is similar to the adult Egyptian Pipistrillus kuhli and the Syrian Pipistrillus but differs
in the case of Oryctolagus cunniculus in which the filiform papilae are long and gathered
in large groups . It also differs in the case of Rattus rattus where the filiform papillae have
a pointed needle shape. In the human tongue, Cheng and Robinson (1991) reported that
the number of fungiform papillae ranged from 171 to 253 and these are located
predominantly at the top, but in the present animals the number of the fungiform papillae is
very few .
In the common European bat Pipistrellus pipistrellus Pastor et al . (1993) observed that
there are many accounts of the tongues of mammals but apparently only one article about the
tongues of the Chiroptera. The tongue is covered with three types of papillae. (filiform, conical
and crown-like) similar to the present frugivorous bats, which may be due to their habit of
retaining captured food during flight., but absent from Oryctolagus cunniculus and Rattus
rattus. In primates Kobayashi, et aL. (2005) found that there are some slender protrusions
arising from the top of the filiform papillae in all five types of primates . The filiform connective
tissue cores (CTC) also had columnar base. This is absent in the present animals. Iwasaki,et al.
(1996) studied the morphogenesis of three types of lingual papilla in the mouse by
scanning electron microscope after collecting different stages of specimens , from fetuses
of mice on the 15th day of gestation (E15), from newborns (P0), from juveniles on the 7th
day (P7) and on the 14th day (P14) after birth and observed that , in the fetuses at E15,
rudiments of fungiform papillae with a relatively regular, lattice-like pattern were visible
on the anterior half of the dorsal surface of the tongue. The outline of the rudiment of a
circumvallate papilla could be recognized on the median line between the lingual body and
the lingual radix. In the pre-natal and post-natal development the filiform and the fugiform
papillae can also be observed but the mucous glands cannot complete their development .
Tishreen University Journal. Bio. Sciences Series 1
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