Hepatic caecum

Hepatic caecum or hepatic cecum is a name used in describing various physiological structures in some crustaceans, insects and lancelets. "Hepatic" refers to the liver, and the hepatic caecum may perform some functions that are analogous to the functions of the liver in vertebrates (except for lancelets, whose "proto-liver" is homologous).

Amphioxus

A digestive organ called the hepatic caecum is found in the cephalochordate amphioxus, or lancelet.[1][2] The hepatic caecum of the amphioxus is a presumed homologue of the vertebrate liver,[3][2] although it is not undisputed.[4] This homology was first hypothesized by Müller in 1844.[3]

Crustaceans

The hepatic caecum is a name given to various digestive structures found in certain crustaceans.[5]

Insects

In some insects, such as the grasshopper, several pairs of hepatic caeca secrete enzymes into the stomach where they assist in the digestive process.[6]

References
  1. Waggoner, Ben (February 7, 1996). "Introduction to the Cephalochordata". University of California Museum of Paleontology. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  2. Fox, Richard (July 5, 2006). "Amphioxus". Lander University. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  3. Wang, Yongjun; Zhang, Yuequn; Zhang, Shicui; Tian, Jianxiao; Jiang, Shengjuan (2008). "Tissue- and stage-specific expression of a fatty acid binding protein-like gene from amphioxus Branchiostoma belcheri" (PDF). Acta Biochimica Polonica. 55 (1): 27–34. doi:10.18388/abp.2008_3197. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  4. Romer, Alfred Sherwood; Parsons, Thomas S. (1977). The Vertebrate Body. Philadelphia, PA: Holt-Saunders International. pp. 18–21. ISBN 0-03-910284-X.
  5. "Hepatic cecum". Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  6. Singh, Lakhmir; Kaur, Manjit. Biology For Tenth Class: Part3. S. Chand. pp. 25–26. ISBN 978-81-219-2293-7.
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