Sequentially bidirectional gastrovascular flows in intricately branched digestive tract of planocerid flatworms.
Polyclad flatworms possess an intricately branched digestive system combining features of a gastrovascular cavity as well as a gastrointestinal tract. Nonetheless, the functions of this system remain unconfirmed, due to a lack of effective observation methods. This paper presents a novel staining me...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2024-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0315838 |
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| Summary: | Polyclad flatworms possess an intricately branched digestive system combining features of a gastrovascular cavity as well as a gastrointestinal tract. Nonetheless, the functions of this system remain unconfirmed, due to a lack of effective observation methods. This paper presents a novel staining method to facilitate the analysis of this highly branched digestive system. Video recordings obtained during ingestion revealed sequentially bidirectional gastrovascular flows and a corresponding occurrence of regular contractions. Tissue sections revealed that the contractions can be attributed to a radial arrangement of muscles around the gastrointestinal tract. The highly branched digestive system of the flatworm revealed evidence of bidirectional flow and sequential peristalsis, which may allow for a diet of greater diversity than is possible in animals with only a gastrovascular cavity. The proposed staining technique opens up new avenues for research on the digestive behavior of lower organisms. |
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| ISSN: | 1932-6203 |