The External Structure and Distribution of Sensilla in the Medicinal Leech
The External Structure and Distribution of Sensilla in the Medicinal Leech
复制标题
药用水蛭感器的外部结构及分布
DOI：
10.1111/j.1463-6395.1990.tb01191.x
复制
发表时间：
1990
期刊：
影响因子：
1.2
通讯作者：
A. Page
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
A. Mcvean;L. Gascoigne;A. Page
The body of Hirudo medicinalis consists of 32 segments. The quinquannulate midbody segments 3–18 bear 14 sensilla on the central (neural) annulus. Elsewhere segments are represented by fewer than five annuli but sensilla are retained on the neural annulus. From neural sensilla protrude S hairs (cilia from uniciliate cells) which are thought to detect water currents. Two categories of multiciliate cell, of unknown function, are also present within neural sensilla; (i) grouped cilia extending beyond the cuticle (G hairs), and (ii) cilia which radiate out beneath the cuticle. Studies of the entire external surface of leech body wall with a scanning electron microscope revealed the presence of large numbers of sensilla on every annulus including the neural annuli. These sensilla lack S hairs. Our results show: (i) annular sensilla have a significantly smaller surface area than neural sensilla (p < 0.001 Mann-Whitney test, 2 tailed), (ii) The position and number of the small sensilla varies from annulus to annulus, segment to segment and individual to individual, (iii) Significantly higher numbers of small sensilla were found where non-neural annuli remain single and have not undergone a further division during development as happens in the quinquannulate segments. The data suggest that small sensilla continue to be added during the adult life of the leech.
