Cloaca (Noun)
Meaning 1
A waste pipe that carries away sewage or surface water.
Classification
Nouns denoting man-made objects.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
(zoology) the cavity (in birds, reptiles, amphibians, most fish, and monotremes but not mammals) at the end of the digestive tract into which the intestinal, genital, and urinary tracts open.
Classification
Nouns denoting body parts.
Examples
- The cloaca is a multi-purpose opening that serves as the common exit point for waste, reproductive materials, and urine in many non-mammalian vertebrates.
- In birds, the cloaca is a small pouch-like cavity that collects and stores feces, urine, and reproductive materials before they are expelled through the vent.
- The cloaca of a reptile is often divided into two parts: the dorsal part, which receives the urine and reproductive materials, and the ventral part, which receives the feces.
- Amphibians also possess a cloaca, which plays a crucial role in their reproductive cycle, as it serves as the site of fertilization and egg-laying.
- The anatomy of the cloaca and its surrounding tissues varies significantly between different groups of fish, reflecting their unique evolutionary histories.