The prostomial glands of the Indian leech, Hirudinaria granulosa

✍ Scribed by M. L. Bhatia

• Book ID: 102903403
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1939
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 587 KB
• Volume: 64
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0362-2525
• DOI: 10.1002/jmor.1050640104

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

1. The prostomial glands, as described by Bourne, are deep‐lying and unicellular, are distinctly different from the salivary glands, and their contents do not stain with boraxcarmine. They are ectodermal in origin.

2. The material for the cocoon is secreted by the clitellar glands, while the prostomial glands secrete the yellowish plugs at the two poles which close the two ends of the cocoon.

3. A fortnight after the cocoons are formed, the plugs become detached, leaving two outlets one at each pole, for the young leeches to wriggle out of the cocoon.

4. The detachable plugs are possible only if not made of the same material as the cocoon.