MORPHOLOGICAL STUDY ON THE SUBLINGUA IN THE MOUSE LEMUR (MICROCEBUS MURINUS) BY ESEM (ENVIRONMENTAL SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY)

Abstract

The sublingua is an elongated structure that is lo-cated under the tongue of primates prosimianssuch as lemurs, lorises and tarsiers. It has alsoseen a similar formation in primitive mammalssuch as marsupials and dermopters. Has a trian-gular shape and sharper vertex is directed forward.Their edges are smooth in the rear half andtoothed above, the vertex presents several filiformendings.In light microscopy studies have not located papil-lae or glands, and the main function is cleaning the“tooth comb” formed by incisors and lower canineshighly modified, with the coat are cleaned. Theseinclude teeth, hair debris are removed by slidingthe tip of the sublingua sliding back and forth be-tween the teeth accumulate.Sublinguas have used the two gray mouse lemur(Lemuridae) adults, from a zoological where theydied of natural causes males. The privileges lan-guages extracted and fixed in 10% formaldehydeand then dehydrated in alcohols for viewing on anESEM with CO2 atmosphere.The total lengths of languages, from end to epiglot-tis were 18 and 20 mm and sublinguas, having adiamond shape, 9 and 11 mm high and 4 to 5 mmdiagonal minimum diagonal respectively. The apexconsisted of filiform terminals 5 and 6. The surfacein both ventral and dorsal face is smooth, present-ing no papillary formations. A large increases cel-lular junctions and large areas with similar mi-cropores to those in the lingual papillae and have adistribution function of the lingual surface mucusare seen. The filiform apex terminations end in twoor three points. In areas close to the apex outnum-ber cells desquamation process. The absence ofpapillary formations and taste pores reinforces thetheory that this training fulfills only a mechanicaltooth cleaning role in these animals.