This book discusses the structural and functional characteristics of the digestive system and how these vary among vertebrates.

The digestive system of vertebrates shows a wide range of adaptations to the different diets, environments, and physiological characteristics of mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, and amphibians. This book describes the general characteristics of the digestive system in each of the major groups of vertebrates and discusses different adaptations for the ingestion and digestion of food, motor activity, absorption of nutrients, and the neurohumoral control of these processes. Its main purpose is to demonstrate the importance of this information for both the propagation and preservation of a given species and the understanding of basic physiological mechanisms.

Biochemical, physiological and morphological aspects of mammalian digestive systems.

This Is A New Release Of The Original 1846 Edition.

Over the last few years, the use of histological, histochemical and ultrastructural studies with scanning and transmission electron microscope become a good tools in Comparative Anatomy studies of some parts of the digestive system of different vertebrates.Three separate parts; buccal cavity, intestine and liver of fish and the tongue of birds were investigated. The investigation should help shed some light on these parts relating the structure to the function.These studies should be especially useful to comparative anatomists, histologists, pathologists, ornithologists and marine biologists.

This second edition has been thoroughly revised. Part A is devoted to the discussion of chordates' evolution and classification. Part B deals with comparative anatomy and provides an introduction to structure-function concept at the level of organs and the organ system. The subject matter is discussed briefly and lucidly and in a sequential manner.