Scanning electron microscopy of the chicken crop--the avian rumen?

The mucosal surface of the chicken crop was examined with the scanning electron microscope. The proximal region in relation to the esophagus differed markedly from the distal region. The region nearest the esophagus showed a slightly folded surface with a very dense surface bacterial population while the region located in the apical region of the diverticulum was smoother with numerous sloughing cells and a sparse bacterial population. A potential for significant microbiological fermentation and digestion of feed in the crop is indicated.