Gross Morphological Studies on the Liver of Goat Foetii (Capra hircus)

Abstract

The present study was conducted on the liver of 18 goat foetii. During the initial stage of development, the liver occupied almost all of the space of abdominal cavity. The lobes were marked by oesophageal and umbilical notches. In the foetus with 5.40 cm CRL (47 days of gestation), the visceral surface of the right lobe showed interiorly a rounded deep omasal impression. The gall bladder was embedded in a fossa between right and quadrate lobe. In the foetus bearing 13.80 cm CRL (82 days of gestation), the umbilical fissure was quite prominent. The visceral surface of the left and right lobe showed depressions for visceral organs. In the foetus with 38.50 cm CRL (145 days of gestation), no impressions of ribs on parietal surface of liver were seen. In the foetus with 38.90 cm CRL (148 days of gestation), the size of the liver was smaller than abdominal cavity when compared with earlier stages of foetal life.