The trachea forms the part of the conducting system which transports air from the external environment to the lungs. The aim of this study was to provide quantitative dimensions of the trachea of Red Sokoto goat (Capra hircus). Quantitative analysis was conducted on nine tracheas from goats (ages were ranged between eight months and three years) without sex variation in this study. The results showed that tracheas were extended from the cricoid cartilage of larynx to the hilus of the lungs, where they were divided into the right and left bronchi. They were structurally composed of the cartilaginous rings that were incomplete dorsally but bridged by tracheal muscles at the ends of the tracheal cartilages. The mean length of the trachea from the first to the last ring was 257 ± 7.11 mm and the number of tracheal rings varied from 35 to 57, with a mean value of 49.33 ± 2.78. The left bronchial mean length (19.78 ± 2.66 mm) was significantly longer than the right (10.44 ± 1.79 mm). The cross-sectional area (CSA) was wider at the intrathoracic area (221.5 ± 0.2 mm2) than cervical area (176 ± 0.1 mm2).

SUMMARY:This study was carried out to record the morphometric parameters of the brain of male and female grasscutters. Ten healthy grasscutters (5 males and 5 females) were used in this study. The mean brain weights were 9.80 + 0.50 g and 10.27 + 0.45 g for males and females respectively. The olfactory bulb mean weight was 0.57 + 0.05 g for males and 0.43 + 0.10 g for females. The cerebral and cerebellar mean lengths of 3.14 + 0.04 cm and 1.34 + 0.04 cm for males, 6.26 + 0.10 cm and 3.80 + 0.32 cm for females were observed. The cerebrum, cerebellum and olfactory bulb account for 70 %, 12 % and 6 % of the total brain weight in males and 64 %, 13 % and 4 % in the females respectively. The mean brain lengths were 5.63 + 0.07 cm and 6.26 + 0.1 cm for males and females respectively. There were significant differences in the body and olfactory bulb weights and also, in the whole brain and cerebral lengths between the males and females. In our present research, the ratios of 0.01 for males and 0.006 for females were observed. This suggests a relatively low brain weight in the ruminants. The olfactory bulb in the male is larger than that in the females. Females in turn have longer brain dimension than the males. Cerebellum has no sex variation both in weight and in length.

SUMMARY:The study was carried out to determine the effect of season on the female reproductive organs of the African Giant rat using the standard methods, with the aim of obtaining the base-line values. The weights of the oviduct/uterus, vagina and the entire tubular organ were consistently higher during the harmattan season (0.789 ± 0.07 g, 2.708 ± 0.19 g and 3.455 ± 0.25 g, respectively) than the hot -dry (0.591 ± 0.02 g, 2.239 ± 0.13 g and 2.831 ± 0.14 g, respectively) and the rainy season (0.723 ± 0.04 g, 2.412 ± 0.01 g and 3.148 ± 0.12 g, respectively). The mean weight and length of the ovary were not significantly different throughout the season, suggesting that the AGR may breed throughout the year. The slight increase in the weight of the tubular organ during the harmattan (NovemberFebruary) and the rainy (June -October) season suggests that the seasons may be favourable for breeding, probably because of the abundance of food available to the rodents in the wild during the seasons. The decrease in weights of the organs during the hot-dry season (March -May) was, apparently, due to the unfavourable climatic conditions and food scarcity during the season. In conclusion, the results of the present study provide base -line morphometric data on the female reproductive organs of the AGR across the seasons.

Lower Respiratory System of Sokoto goat Nzalak et al.

Numerous scientific studies have revealed a number of striking sex differences in the mammalian cerebella. The present study was carried out to determine the effect of sex on 12 cerebella (6 males and 6 females) and also its relationship to other body variables in adult African giant pouched rats using a quantitative morphometric method. The results showed that cerebellum mean weight was slightly higher in females (0.82 ± 0.03 g) than males (0.76 ± 0.02 g). In females, the cerebellum weight was strongly positively correlated with the brain (r = 0.95) and the head (r = -0.49) weights. In males, the cerebellum weight was positively correlated with the body (r = 0.81), the head (r = 0.37) and brain (r = 0.30) weights. Generally, cerebellum weight and dimensions in both sexes tended to be positively correlated with the body, the head and the brain. In conclusion, the cerebellum in females may be estimated accurately from the brain mass, while in males, it may be used to estimate the body mass.