THE CLOACA
The cloaca, common to the digestive and urogenital systems, opens to the exterior at the vent (Figure 37-22/5). Colorectum, ureters, and deferent ducts (or the left oviduct) enter it at various levels.
The cloaca is divided sequentially into coprodeum, urodeum, and proctodeum by two more or less complete annular folds. The bursa of Fabricius is located in the dorsal wall of the proctodeum (Figure 37-22/9).The coprodeum is the ampulliform continuation of the colorectum (see Figure 37-22) in which feces are stored (Figure 37-22/2). In some desert species (e.g., budgerigar) it is lined with villi and is a site of water absorption. It is bounded caudally by the coprourodeal fold (Figure 37-22/2'), which may be stretched by the pressure of the feces so that its central opening is everted through the vent. The urodeum and proctodeum (Figure 37-22/3,4) are described with the urogenital system (p. 806).
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