The Respiratory and Urinogenital Systems of the Guinea Pig (Cavia porcellus)

Author(s): George E. Potter, E. L. Rabb, L. W. Gibbs, W. D. C. Jones, A. B. Medlen and C.

L. Herman
Source: Bios , Dec., 1957, Vol. 28, No. 4 (Dec., 1957), pp. 235-240
Published by: Beta Beta Beta Biological Society

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 Bios 235

The Respiratory and Urinogenital

Systems of the Guinea Pig
(Cavia porcellus)

Part 1. The Respiratory System

by GEORGE E. POTTER, E. L. RABB, L. W. GIBBS,
W. D. C. JONES AND A. B. MEDLEN

Part 11. The Urinogenital System

by GEORGE E. POTTER, C. L. HERMAN, E. L. RABB, AND A. B. MEDLEN

Part 1. The Respiratory System

T HIS system is the usual mammalian system with a few variations. It
begins in the terminal external nares which lead into the nasal
chambers and they in turn lead into the single naso-pharynx. This is a long
slender cavity behind the soft palate leading into the small pharynx. The
soft palate is a complete palate and entirely fastened down around the
esophagus and larynx. There are no free edges on it. There is a small
aperture through the soft palate from the mouth cavity into the relatively
small cavity (pharynx) around the opening of the larynx first, then around
the opening of the esophagus. The esophagus is a flat tube opening just
dcrsal (behind) to the larynx.

The larynx is quite typical except the epiglottis. This and its cartilage
are extremely minute. The closure of the glottis, which is quite large,
seems to be accomplished by the mi-
UPPER INCISORS
nute epiglottis folding back a little
way and the rest of the closure by
convergence of the remains of the
UPPER PREMOLAR lateral walls of the dorsal part. In-
'i/ N\ side the larynx there seems to be
VESTIBULE
very little development of vocal
UPPER NiOLARS
cords. Once air is inside the larynx,
HARD PALATE it follows the usual course to the
SSOFT PALATE lungs. It follows the tubelike
PHARYNGEAL
APERTURE trachea to the bronchi. Then the
LOWER MOLARS bronchi divide into secondary and
LOWER PREMOLAR tertiary branches and finally into
bronchioles. From these the air
\\,Z1 TONGUE
LOWER INCISORS goes into the alveolae where diffu-
Opened Mouth and Pharynx sion with the blood takes place.

The trachea is from two and one-half to three inches long. It is sup-
ported by approximately 27 - 30 cartilaginous rings.

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 236 Bios

The cavity which contains the lungs is called the pleural cavity. The
left side of the pleural cavity is considerably smaller than the right because
of the position of the heart. The body wall of the pleural cavity is lined
by the somatic or parietal pleura and the tissue of the lungs is covered by
the visceral or splanchnic pleura. The mesentery that divides the pleural
cavity longitudinally through the middle is the mediastinum. This also
holds the heart in position.

REPIGLOTTIS

THYROID CARTILAGE

, ~~~TRACHEA
TRACHEAL RING

RIGHT ANTERIOR LOBE

BRONCHUS
LEFT POSTERIOR LOBE
LETANTERIOR LOBE
RIGHT MIDDLE LOBE
/1 ~ ~ ~ ~ RGTLATERAL POSTERIOR
/ // 1/ / RIGHT ~~LOBE
LEFT MIDDLE LOBE

qww-RIGHT MEDIAL POSTERIOR

Ay ~~~LOBE

(1) L-arynx, Trachea an-d Lungs-

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 Bios 237

The left lung is com

middle lobe, and a
composed of three l
anterior lobe, a larger middle lobe and the posterior lobe is divided into
a large lateral lobe and a large medial lobe. The medial lobe extends be-
hind the post caval vein and for that reason could be called the caval lobe.

Part 11. The Urinogenital System

The Excretory Portion
The two kidneys are the two principal excretory organs of the body.
In the guinea pig, the kidneys (metanephros), one to each side, are situated
on the dorsal lateral wall of the abdominal cavity, the right kidney immed-
iately posterior to the right lobe of the liver. The left kidney is lateral to
the cardiac end of the stomach. The kidney is a bean-shaped organ encased
in fatty fascia. Adjacent and partly surrounding the anterior pole of the
kidney is the suprarenal gland, a whitish hemispherical body. In the guinea
pig it is about one-fifth the size of the kidney. This is in marked contrast
to the size of the same gland in the rat, rabbit, and cat, where is is much
smaller in relation to the size of the animal. The depression or concavity
of the medial surface oif the kidney, the hilus, receives the renal blood ves-
sels and ureter. When the kidney is bisected through the hilus, the renal
pelvis, formed by the expanded ureter, is seen with a single renal papilla
projecting into the cavity or sinus, which fills the renal pelvis. A single
renal pyramid is distinguishable in the kidney. The ureter of the kidney
passes backward from the hilus to the urinary bladder, the storage space
for urine. The bladder is located dorsomedially in the extreme hinder part
of the abdominal cavity, just ventrally to the colon as it goes to the rectum.
The posterior portion of the bladder, the fundus, narrows to a canal, the
urethra, which, in the male, receives on its dorsal wall the genital ducts.
In the male the urethra leads out through the penis where it carries both
urinary and genital products. In the female it is a separate duct and leads
back to the urinary aperture near the vaginal orifice, where it opens to the
outside.

The Genital Portion

The Male Organs - The testes are external to the abdominal cav-
ity, located in a sac, the scrotum. The scrotum is situated between the
posterior appendages, ventral to the anus. A longitudinal groove along the
ventral surface of the scrotum marks the position of the septum scroti, an
internal partition which separates one testis from another. Closely assoc-
iated with the testis is the epididymis, a much coiled tubule which attaches
to the posterior part of the testis. The duct leading from the epididymis
anteriorly into the abdominal cavity is the ductus deferens (vas deferens)
which connects with the ventral wall of the seminal vesicle. The seminal
vesicle is a long finger-like blind sac, about two and one-half inches in
length, which projects anteriorly in the abdominal cavity. At its hinder

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 238 Bios

end it joins the urethra dorsally just posterior to the bladder. There are
two of these. In the guinea pig, the prostate gland is a convoluted mass of
tubules which opens into the urethra posterior to the entrance of the sem-
inal vesicle. The urethra continues caudad into the pelvic girdle where

'I ~~~~CISTERNA MAGNA

S (S 'q1f(W KIDNEY

--ESEMINAL VESICLE

URETER

URINARY BLADDER

PROSTATE GLAND
VAS DEFERENS

J ? \ ~~~~PREPUCE
)\ i; 18lJl\\\ (tW URETHRA

n ~~~~~~GLANS
?| \ SPERMATIC CORD
-PENIS (IN SHEATH)

F1 i , ^/v Z - EPIDIDYMIS

u f"nt ~~~~~-TESTIS

SPINES OF GLANS
(2) Male Urinogenital System

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 Bios 239

CI

N~~~~~~HR OF UTERUS

/ / TT771ROUND LIGAMENT
/// Cta ~~~BO DY OF UTE RU S

/<URINA~UINRY BLADDER

LATERAL LIGAMENT

OVAGINA
URETHRA

(3) Female Urinogenital System

it makes a turn ventrally and back upon itself; then it enters the cavernous
portion of the penis. TheS penis makes a half circle ventrically then poster-
iorly to lie in the ventral groove of the scrotum. The glans penis, the ter-
minal part of the penis, is covered by the prepuce which is an outgrowth of
the scrotum. On the surface of the glans penis there are many spines point-

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 240 Bios

ed in the proximal direction. This is evidently a provision for the penis to

adhere better in the vagina at the time of copulation.

The Female Organs

The ovaries of the guinea pig, one on each side, are located on the
dorsal body wall a short distance posterior to the kidneys. Each is an elong-
ated spheroid body suspended by the mesovarium from the body wall. The
ostium abdominalis of the oviduct completely surrounds the ovary except
for a small area. The horn of the uterus, or Fallopian tube, is an ex-
tension of the oviduct. The two horns, one from each side, meet in the
middle of the body some two or three inches back of the kidney to form the
body of the uterus. This is a rather flattened, median, muscular tube
which extends on back dorsal to the bladder, becomes the vagina, and goes
on to terminate in the vulva. The ureters coming from the kidneys enter
the bladder, and the urethra from the bladder parallels. the ventral side of
the vagina to end in the urinary aperture within the vestibulum.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Alezais, J., Anatomy of Siuprarenal Capsules of Cavia asperea, Journ, Anat.

and Physiol. XXXVII pp,. 259 & 624, 1901. (Zool. Rec. 1902).

Bookhout, Cazen G., The Development of the Guinea Pig Ovary from Sexual
Differentiation to Maturity, Journ. Morphology 77, p. 233-258, 1945.

Freudenberg, Rudolf, Zur Architektur der Niere von Meerschweinchen.

Zeitschr. Wiss. Biol. Abit. B, Zeitschr. Zellforsch, u. Mikrosk, Anat. 14
(1/2): pp. 266-278, 1931.

Fuhrmann, Franz, Adrenals of Cavia, Zeitschrift Wiss. Zool. LXXVIII p. 522.

(Zool. Rec. 19,05).

Gruber, Carl, Bau und Entwicklung der au eren Genitalien bei Cavia Cobaya,
Morphologisches Jahrbuch, Leipsig, 36(3).
Herman, Development of Ovum in Cavia, Versh. Ges. Gynak. X, p. 633.
Mulon, C. R., Supirarenal Capsules of Cav,ia asperea, Soc. Biol. 1902, p. 1310.
(Zool. Rec. 1902).

Nehring, A., Uber die Fortplanzung and Abstammung des Meerschweinchens

(Clavia Cobaya, Marcgr.), Zool. Gart. XXXII, pp. 65-77.

Rubaschkin, W., Uber die Riefungs - und Befruchtungsprozesse des Meesch-

weincheies, Anatomische Hefte Arb. XXIX, p. 507. (Zool. Rec. 1905).

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