Morphological studies on the lips of buffalo

الملخص EN

This study was carried out on the lips of twenty buffalo heads of both sexes collected from Kafrelsheikh abattoir to illustrate the morphological features of the lips by using light microscope and scanning electron microscope.

The lips and the oral commissure are covered externally with thin skin and lined internally with mucous membrane.

The nasolabial plate is covered with stratified squamous keratinized epithelium.

The core of the lips is formed of bundles of skeletal muscles separated with connective tissue fibers.The core of the commissure is formed of bundles of skeletal muscles, collagen fibers, adipose tissue and PAS and Ab positive seromucoid glands.

The core of the nasolabial plate is formed mainly of connective tissue followed by lobules of serous glands with few bundles of skeletal muscles.

Tow types of hair follicles were found in the dermis of the covering skin; the ordinary and covernous types.

Conical papillae are found in the internal aspect of the oral commissure, while the free border of the lips carried blunt and short papillae.