Fig 5. Photomicrographs of the oesophagus and stomach wall, Inland Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps); haematoxylin and eosin staining.

(A) oesophagus, transverse section, bar 250 μm; inset (A’) Masson-Goldner staining, bar 50 μm; (B) cardiac part of stomach, longitudinal section, bar 250 μm; (C) body of stomach, longitudinal section, bar 250 μm; (D) pyloric part of stomach, transverse section, bar 250 μm; (E) body of stomach, longitudinal section, bar 125 μm; (F) pyloric part of stomach, transverse section, bar 125 μm. Mucous tunic consisting of epithelium (1), lamina propria (1‘) and muscular layer (1”); submucosal layer (2); muscular tunic consisting of an inner circular stratum (3) and an outer longitudinal stratum (3’); serosal tunic (4) or adventitia (4’). The lamina propria (1’) contains serous glands (a) in the cardiac part (B) of the stomach; heterocrine glands (b) consisting of chief cells (exocrinocytus principalis; b₁) and acidophilic parietal cells (exocrinocytus parietalis; b₂) in the body (C, E); and mucous glands (c) in the pyloric part (D, F). The epithelium (1) of the oesophagus (A’) shows a brush border (white arrowhead) and many goblet cells (arrows). The lamina propria (1’) and the muscular layer (1”) of the oesophagus (A, A’) contain black pigments (*). E, F: The epithelial apical cytoplasm (1, black arrowhead) of the stomach appears eosinophilic.