Comparative Morphological Studies on the Lacrimal Apparatus of One Humped Camel, Goat, And Donkey

Abstract

The lacrimal apparatus gross anatomy studied on four camels head 4-10 years age, four goats’ head 1-3 years age and four donkeys head 2-6 years age. The lacrimal gland was irregular flattened and elongated lobular in shape, pink in colour with characteristic indented borders composed by three lobes the main caudal, coma shape lateral and cranial lobes in camel, while it was flattened and oval in shape, light brown in colour possessed two distinct parts, a body and appendage–like part in goat, whatever, it was ovoid in shape, light brown in colour in donkey. The lacrimal gland was larger in size in horse and goat than that of camel in relation to body weight. The dorsal and ventral lacrimal puncta were absent and the lacrimal duct started blindly at the medial part of the upper and lower eye lids in camel, while in goat and donkey, the dorsal and ventral lacrimal puncta appeared slit like openings, they were lead to lacrimal sac. The nasolacrimal duct ran in the osseous lacrimal canal rostrally, with a slight curve at its origin. It passed the lacrimal, zygomatic and maxillary bones. It passed through the maxillary sinus, and then traversed the nasal cavity in a curved descending fashion, covered only by the nasal mucosa and a thin connective tissue membrane on the lateral surface of ventral nasal concha. The nasolacrimal duct opened at the medial wall of the nasal vestibule at the junction between the mucous membrane and skin by the nasal opening of the nasolacrimal duct that was very minute in camel and goat while it was clearly observed in donkey