Abstract:

This experiment was aimed at studying the distribution and morphology of argentaffine cells in the 300-day-old Chinese Yellow Quail (Coturnix aponica) and provided morphological basis for physiological and pathological study on digestive system. Every segment of the digestive tract was taken. Grimelius's method was used to observe the distribution and morphology of argentaffine cells, and then the distribution density of the argentaffine cells in each digestive tract segment was determined. We compared male and female by used T-test. The results showed that: the argentaffine cells could be found throughout most of the digestive tract, but couldn’t be found in oral cavity, esophagus, ingluvies, masticatory stomach and colorectum portions. The distrionbution curve is similar to wave. There were two high peaks in glandular stomach and rectum, jejunum distributed the density lowest. The argentaffine cells were seen in glandular stomach leaves, between epithelial cells of mucosa layer, intestinal gland and lamina propria. The shape of argentaffin cells was varied, including cone, fusiform, round, oval and so on. The cone cells always had one long processus extending to the gut lumen, and spindly cells had two long processus, one extending to the gut lumen, the other extending to the lamina propria. The distribution of argentaffine cells might be related to its species. According to the distributed density and morphology of argentaffine cells in the digestive tract of Chinese Yellow Quail, we thought the argentaffine cells might have exocrine, endocrine and paracrine functions.