Anatomy and Histology of cloaca in African ostrich (Struthio camelus)

Anatomic and histological structure of the cloaca in ostrich was investigated by gross appearance and light microscopy. The results indicated that, the cloaca of African ostrich was larger than chicken. Cloaca receiving waste from large intestine, urinary and reproductive systems, and was divided into three sections by three mucous plicas: coprodeum, vault-like urodeum and proctodeum. The epithelium of finger-like villi in the cloaca was simple columnar epithelium. The goblet cells of mucosa were abundant and showed globose apophysis. Lymphoid follicles were found in mucosa of cloaca.