Crop (anatomy)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A thin-walled expanded portion of the alimentary tract used for the storage of food prior to digestion that is found in many animals, including gastropods, earthworms[1], leeches[2], insects, and birds.
Contents |
[edit] Bees
Cropping is used by bees to temporarily store nectar of flowers. When bees "suck" nectar, it is stored in their crop.[3]
[edit] Birds
In a bird's digestive system, the crop is an expanded, muscular pouch near the gullet or throat. It is a part of the digestive tract, essentially an enlarged part of the esophagus. As with most other organisms that have a crop, the crop is used to temporarily store food. Not all birds have a crop. In adult doves and pigeons, the crop can produce crop milk to feed newly hatched birds.[4]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Worm World: About Earthworms- http://yucky.discovery.com/flash/worm/pg000102.html
- ^ R. T. Sawyer, Leach Biology and Behaviour, Volume II - http://www.biopharm-leeches.com/pdf/bioandbehav.pdf
- ^ Honeybee Biology - http://koning.ecsu.ctstateu.edu/Plants_Human/bees/bees.html
- ^ The Alimentary Canal in Birds - http://www.earthlife.net/birds/digestion.html
[edit] External link
| Anatomy of torso, digestive system: Gastrointestinal tract |
|---|
| Upper gastrointestinal tract Mouth • Pharynx (nasopharynx, oropharynx, hypopharynx) • Esophagus • Crop • Stomach (rugae, gastric pits, cardia/gland, fundus/gland, pylorus/gland, pyloric antrum) Lower gastrointestinal tract Large intestine: Cecum • Colon (ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, sigmoid colon) • Rectum (Houston valve, rectal ampulla, pectinate line) • Anal canal (anal valves, anal sinuses, anal columns) Anus: Sphincter ani internus muscle • Sphincter ani externus muscle GALT: Peyer's patches • M cells intestinal villus • crypts of Lieberkühn • circular folds • taenia coli • haustra • epiploic appendix |
 |
This digestive system article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
