Development of the digestive system As a result of the cephalocaudal and lateral folding of the embryo, a portion of the endoderm-lined yolk sac cavity is incorporated into the embryo to form the primitive gut. In the cephalic and caudal parts of the embryo, the primitive gut forms a tube, the foregut and hindgut, respectively. The middle part, the midgut, remains temporally connected to the yolk sac by means of the vitelline duct. The foregut gives rise to the esophagus, the trachea, lung buds, the stomach, and the duodenum proximal to the entrance of the bile duct. In addition, the liver, pancreas, and biliary apparatus
Digestive system of humpback whales digest the chitin in the exoskeletons of krill and prey swallowed whole. The duodenal ampulla can be described as the atrium of the small intestine and is a dilated sac forming the beginning of the duodenum. The duodenum prepares many nutrients from the digested matter (chyme), for absorption, which takes place in the intestines, and is the principal site for iron absorption. Digestive system of humpback whales The digestive system of humpback whales ("Megaptera novaeangliae") is adapted to digest tiny crustaceans such as krill, plankton, and small fish (including herring and mackerel) which the whale filters from the ocean using