Scanning and transmission electron microscopic observations of the cloacal epithelia of the domestic fowl.

The epithela of the three divisions (coprodaeum, urodaeum, proctodaeum) of the cloaca of the hen, and of the excretory ducts (colon, ureter, vagina) which join the divisions, are described using light microscopy, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Each region of the cloaca has its typical epithelium. Special attention is focussed in this study on the boundaries between the different epithelia. The coprodaeal epithelium does not differ considerably from that of the colon; a transitional zone is not visible. Distinct border zones, however, are observed between the other regions (ureter--urodaeum; vagina--urodaeum and proctodaeum; urodaeum--proctodaeum; proctodaeum--cutis). Although the vaginal opening is generally thought to lie in the urodaeum, our investigations show that at the vaginal opening into the cloaca the ciliated epithelium changes, on one border to a secretory epithelium characteristic of the urodaeum and on the other border to that characteristic of the proctodaeum. These observations are discussed in relation to functional aspects.