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Content
• Mammals
• The rabbit (Lepus cuniculus)
• External features
• Body cavity
• Skeletal system
• Digestive system
• Respiratory system
• Circulatory system
• Excretory system
• Reproductive system
• Nervous system
• Summary
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 duck-billed
Mammals platypus

• Highest group of animals echidna

• Class – Mammalia
• Phylum – Chordata Egg-laying mammals
There are three types of mammals –
1. The egg-laying forms kangaroo

2. The marsupials (with pouches) koala

3. The placental mammals
Marsupials
Placental mammals are the majority

Placental mammal
(elephant)
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 Occipital condyle
of the occipital bone
Atlas

General Characters of Mammals

1. Body is covered with hair. Skin has many glands
(sebaceous, sweat, scent and mammary)
2. Skull – two occipital condyles, Neck – seven vertebrae
3. Teeth – in sockets on both jaws, modified to food habits
Left atrium
4. Four limbs – five or fewer digits with claws, nails or
Left ventricle
hoofs
Right atrium
5. Heart – four-chambered (two atria and two ventricles),
Right ventricle left aortic arch persists 4
 General Characters of Mammals
lungs
6. Respiration – by lungs, muscular diaphragm separates
lungs and heart from abdominal cavity
7. Brain – cerebrum and cerebellum, twelve pairs of
cranial nerves
8. Body temperature – regulated (homoiothermal) cerebrum

9. Urinary bladder is present, excretion (urine) is fluid

10. Fertilization – internal
cerebellum
• Male - copulatory organ
• Female – with minute eggs retained in the uterus
milk
• Embryonic membranes with placenta for
nourishment and respiration
• Young are nourished by milk from mammary glands
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The Rabbit (Lepus cuniculus )
• Live –groups –in burrows
• Life span -7 to 8 years(normal condition)
• Very prolific –frequently breeding - 4 times a year

Baby Adult Old

rabbit rabbit rabbit

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External features hair

• Body-cover-soft hair or fur nictitating

• Head-terminal mouth –soft lips membrane
eye
• Upper lip-divided –a cleft –nostrils-
exposing –chisel-shaped incisors fur

• Eye–large & provided –upper & lower eyelids-

nictitating membrane

nostrils
A cleft

chisel-shaped
incisors

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External features
• Long stiff hairs(vibrissae)–above & below –eyes & snout Fore leg
• External ears(pinnae)-long & conspicuous
Hind leg
• Neck-distinct & Trunk –divisible-thorax & abdomen
• Fore legs-smaller than –hind
• Hind legs-elongated & adapted-leaping
• Fore legs-5 digits & hind-4 digits
• All-provided -claws
ear

Long stiff hairs

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External features
• Female-4 or 5 pair-teats
• Anus-below –short tail
• Urogenital opening –anterior –anus
• Perineal glands(scent glands)-open-depressed area-between –anus & urogenital
opening

teats

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Body cavity
• Diaphragm–thorax & abdomen
• Coelom - 4 compartments – Pericardial cavity –heart
- 2 pleural cavities-lung
- peritoneal cavity –abdominal viscera

Body cavity of a rabbit 10

Skeletal system
• Skeletal system –axial skeleton–skull
-vertebral column
-sternum
-ribs
-appendicular skeleton –girdles
-bones of the limbs

ribs skull

Vertebral
column
sternum

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Skeletal system Transverse
processes
Neural spine

• Vertebral column -cervical(7) Neural canal

-thoracic(12) Neural arch
centrum
-lumber(7)
-sacral(4) Typical vertebra
-caudal(15)
• Typical vertebra-has-centrum(solid oval portion)-support- a neural arch
around neural canal
• Neural spine –dorsally & 2 transverse processes-laterally –either side-neural spine

cervical

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 Digestive system
Salivary glands
• Includes the digestive tract (alimentary canal)
and its associated glands(liver and pancreas) Liver

Digestive Tract
• Complete digestive tract ;start with mouth and
end with anus
• Parts of tract ; mouth, buccal cavity, pharynx, oesophagus
stomach and a long coiled intestine
Digestive tract
• Long coiled intestine ;open outside at the posterior end
of a rabbit
by the anus
• Mouth ;open into the buccal cavity
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• Pharynx ; formed at the posterior end of the buccal cavity

• Glottis ; behind the tongue on the floor of the pharynx, guarded

by a cartilaginous flap, the epiglottis (prevents food particles
from passing down the windpipe)

• Pharynx ; lead into the narrow tube ,the oesophagus

• Oesophagus ; passes neck and thorax and the diaphragm and

enter the abdomen to open into the cardiac end of the stomach fundus

• Stomach(a wide curved sac) ; placed across the body cavity and
cardia
differentiated into anterior cardiac end and the posterior
pylorus
pyloric end body

• Sphincter muscle (pylorus) ; guards the opening of the pyloric

end antrum

• Pyloric end ; lead into the narrow duodenum (the anterior parts Stomach of a rabbit
of the small intestine) 14
• Long coiled intestine ; small intestine and large intestine

• Small intestine ; anterior duodenum and posterior ileum

stomach spleen
• Inner surface of ileum ; long finger-like projection
called villi(serve to increase the absorptive surface in oesophagus
pancreas
the intestine)
caecum
ileum
• Posterior end of the ileum ; sacculus rotundus then appendix
open into colon,(the anterior part of the large intestine)
duodenum
• Large intestine ; anterior colon and posterior rectum , small
latter open outside by the anus intestine

colon
• Wide tube (caecum) ; arising from the junction of the rectum
ileum and the colon and ends in a blind finger-like
Digestive tract of a rabbit
vermiform appendix 15
 Gall bladder
Associated Glands Quadrate
Gall
lobe
bladder
• Liver and pancreas Right lobes
Left lobes

Hepatic ducts

• Liver ; five lobes Cystic duct

Popillary
process
Common bile duct pylorus
• Embedded in the right central lobe ;pear shaped Caudate process pancreas
gall bladder duodenum

Liver of a rabbit
• Several hepatic duct and a cystic duct forms the bile
duct(open into the dorsal side of the duodenum a
short distance beyond the pylorus)

• Pancreas ; pinkish body ,a large number of small

lobules Small lobules
• Pancreatic duct ; union of smaller ducts from the lobes
Pancreas
of the pancreas ,open into the distal loop of the
duodenum 16
 trachea
Respiratory system rib

bronchiole bronchus
• In rabbit ,gaseous exchange take place in lungs
(located in the chest or thorax ;side walls ;ribs
with muscles between them ,and the hind wall a the lung
diaphragm) alveolus diaphragm

• Windpipe ; larynx and trachea ,leading back

into the thorax and dividing into two
bronchi,(join the lungs)

• Bronchi ; break up into numerous bronchioles

ending in minute air sac ,alveoli

• Thus mammalian lungs have a larger internal surface

area than those of other vertebrates
Lungs of a rabbit 17
Circulatory System
• Four chambered – two-auricles and two ventricles
• Right auricle opens into right ventricle
• Left auricle opens into left ventricle
• Two sides do not communicate

Right auricle Left auricle

Right ventricle Left ventricle

Apex

Heart of a New Zealand White rabbit 18

 Circulatory System

superior vena
pulmonary artery
cava

pulmonary veins

left
right Left auricle - two pulmonary veins
Right auricle - three venae cavae atrium
atrium
valve
valve

left Left ventricle – aortic arch

ventricle
inferior vena
cava right ventricle
Right ventricle – pulmonary arch
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Summarized Arterial System
Right common carotid artery Left common carotid artery

Right subclavian artery

Left subclavian artery
Innominate artery

Right intercostal arteries

Right phrenic artery
Hepatic artery
Lieno-gastric artery
Coeliac artery
Anterior mesenteric artery
Right renal artery

Right genital artery Left renal artery

Right iliolumbar artery Posterior mesenteric artery

Left common iliac artery
Caudal artery Left external iliac artery
Left internal iliac artery 20
Summarized Venous System
Right external jugular vein Left external jugular vein
Right internal jugular vein Left internal jugular vein
Right subclavian vein Left subclavian vein

Left internal mammary vein

Right intercostal veins

Azygos vein
Right phrenic veins Lieno-gastric vein

Hepatic veins
Duodenal vein
Hepatic portal vein
Right renal vein

Right genital vein Anterior mesenteric vein

Right iliolumbar vein Posterior mesenteric vein
Right external iliac vein
Right internal iliac vein 21
 Hilum
Excretory System
• The main organs – two bean-shaped kidneys
• Right kidney is anterior to left and close to
diaphragm Kidneys of Rabbit
• Outer surface is convex and inner concave
Aorta Vena cava
• Depression in the middle of concave is hilum, renal
artery enters and renal vein and ureter leave Renal artery
Renal
Kidney
• Renal arteries transport dissolved urena vein

• Renal veins carry very little or no dissolved urena in Ureter

blood
• Ureters are tubes, which drain urine from kidney
to bladder Bladder
• Bladder is a storage sac which accumulates urine Urethra
• Sphincter muscles control the flow of urine at
intervals Excretory System of Rabbit 22
Essential Regions of the Kidney

• Two main zones – outer cortex and inner cortex renal artery
medulla medulla Renal vein

• Several conical pyramids project towards the papilla pelvis

small funnel-shaped pelvis pyramid
• Millions of minute excretory units called calyx
nephrons are in kidney
• Nephron – malpighian body and uriniferous
tubules
ureter

L.S. of kidney
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Essential Regions of the Kidney Bowman’s capsule
Glomerulus

Malpighian body

• Includes cup-shaped Bowman’s capsule and Collecting

glomerulus tube
• Glomerulus is a knot of blood capillaries From
Ascending
formed from the branching of renal artery limb
renal artery
• After leaving glomerulus, blood vessel
forms complex network of capillary loop Branch of
Descending
renal vein
• These capillaries unite to form renal vein limb

Peritubular
capillaries

A nephron 24
Essential Regions of the Kidney Second
First Coiled
Coiled Tubule
Uriniferous tubule Glomerulus Tubule

• Includes first coiled tubule, second coil Renal corpuscle

tubule and loop of Henle
• At the end of second coiled tubule, union of
several kidney tubules forms collecting duct Bowman’s
capsule
• Collecting duct passes towards pelvis and
pelvis leads into ureter Renal
Collecting
artery
• Bowman’s capsule and coiled tubules are in duct

cortex Renal Loop of

vein Henle To ureter
• Loop of Henle and collecting duct are in
medulla A nephron
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 Male reproductive system
• A pair of testes - within the scrotum - pouch of
body wall
• Spermatozoa - in epididymis - the sperm duct or vas
deferens.
• Passes forward out of scrotal sac, curves over the
kidney
ureter-passes backwards again to enter the base of ureter
urethra
Spermatic cord
• During copulation, sperm is transferred – a common Urinary bladder
urogenital canal - male reproductive organ or penis
Vas deferens
• Base of urethra - two accessory glands - prostate
glands-pass secretion into urethra Prostate gland
Cowper’s gland
• Behind the prostate - Cowper's glands – secretion of testis
help transfer of sperm Perineal gland
penis
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 Female reproductive system Ovaries,
uterus and
part of the
• 2 small ovaries attached behind the kidneys to the vagina
dorsal abdominal wall
• Oviducts open into the abdominal cavity by wide Right kidney
funnel-shaped openings just outside the ovaries
Left kidney
• 1st section of duct-sinuous called fallopian tube
ureter
which runs backwards and enlarge to form uterus
ovary
• Uterus narrow to form vagina
Fallopian
• Vagina extend between the bladder and rectum, tube
pass backwards within the pelvis girdle above the uterus
neck of bladder form urogenital canal or vestibule vagina
which open at the vulva
bladder vestibule
• Small rod-like clitoris lies on its ventral wall
Cowper’s
• 2 small Cowper's glands on the dorsal wall glands
vulva
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Fertilization and development
Rabbit can breed throughout the year. But male rabbits are commonly sterile
during the summer . Male deposits its sperm into female vagina. Sperms swim
through cervix and uterus to fallopian tubes where they fertilize the egg cells.
Embryo develops into a new offspring in 30-32 days after which it is born.

New born rabbits

Development of a rabbit 28
Nervous System
Brain

Central nervous
System (CNS)

Spinal cord
Nervous
System
Cranial nerves
Peripheral nervous
system (PNS)
Spinal nerves

Autonomic nervous system (ANS)

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Summarized parts of brain (rabbit)

Basic pattern Parts of brain

Olfactory lobes, cerebral
Fore Brain
hemispheres

Mid Brain Diencephalon, optic lobes

Hind Brain Cerebellum, Medulla Oblongata

Brain of a rabbit
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 Parts of a
Location
Brain
Olfactory lobes
In front of cerebral
Olfactory lobes
Fore Brain

hemispheres
Cerebral Hemispheres

Cerebral Behind the olfactory

Hemispheres lobes
Floccular lobes

vermis
Cerebellum In front of the medulla
Hind Brain

Medulla Oblongata

Hindermost part of the Spinal cord

Medulla oblongata
brain Brain of the rabbit (dorsal view)
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 Parts of a
Location
Brain
Mid Brain

Diencephalon In front of the optic lobes

Optic lobes Behind the diencephalon

Pineal body
Optic lobes
cerebellum
Cerebral hemisphere
Central canal
Olfactory lobe
Pituitary body Third Fourth ventricle
iter
ventricle

Brain of the rabbit (right half of the brain)

Third ventricle (diencephalon) iter fourth ventricle (medulla) 32

Spinal Cord
• Continuous with medulla White matter
• Relays impulses to and from
the body and brain Grey matter Inner canal
• Centre of spinal reflexes
Include three parts,
• Inner canal Transverse section of spinal cord
• White matter
• Grey matter

Inner canal
Central canal
Inner canal (central canal) continuous
with the ventricles of the brain containing
cerebro-spinal fluid which is nutritive medium
for cells border. Transverse section of spinal cord
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Grey matter
• Consists of adjustor neurons and cell Adjustor neuron
bodies of motor neurons nucleus

• Cell bodies of sensory neurons - in

dorsal root ganglia of spinal nerves receptor

White matter White matter

Bundles of medullated fibres

connecting various parts of the brain
cell bodies of spinal nerves and
adjustor neurons. Transverse section of spinal cord
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 Autonomic nervous system (ANS)
Cranial nerves
• paired, arising from the brain
• sensory nerves to the sense organs of the head
• motor nerves to the eye muscles, facial muscles
• nerves, which make up part of autonomic nervous system

Spinal nerves
• Paired, arising from the spinal cord at regular intervals
• Consist of sensory and motor nerves fibers running to
& from the spinal cord
• Somatic, skin and voluntary muscles or visceral to gut,
involuntary muscle structure and various glands Autonomic nervous system
• Visceral – autonomic nervous system (rabbit) 35
Summary
• Characteristics of mammals - main point when we study about mammals.
• This chapter - about a rabbit and its features.
• Going deeper, the various systems, for example, digestive system associates
with human beings’ nutrition.
• In the same way, we can learn about other systems which describe the general
facts of a rabbit’s internal features.
• Being a typical mammal, studying about rabbit make more easier in working on
others. I know you all are

• After all, this chapter is more than about a rabbit !

looking at the cat.
Feeling boring about
me, uh?

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