Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Metamerism in Leech Annelida (Theory)


Metamerism in Annelida
          

When segmentation in bilateral animal such as annelids involves a longitudinal division of body into a linear series of similar section of parts is termed as metamerism. Or metameric segmentation.
Metamerism of body was encountered for the first time in annelids. In some animal group such as arthropods and vertebrate also have body part metaphorically repeated. In some animals metamerism is internal as well as external. Earthworm is best example in which both internal and external meamerism is found. In arthropods metamerism or segmentation is chiefly external. Some higher animals inclueding human shows an internal metamerism of body muscles, nerves, certain blood vessels, vertebrae and ribs. 
Body of annelids is metamerically segmented. Internal and external metameism is visible in most of the annelids.  The body of leech is divisible into many regions as follows.
1.      Cephalic region
2.      Pre-clitellar region
3.      Clitellar region
4.      Middle region
5.      Caudal region
6.      Posterior sucker

Each segment is divided by ring also called as annuli. The segment is either uni-annulate, bi-annulate, tri-annulate or Quinqua-annulate. Segment with five annuli is called quinqua -annulate segments or complete segment. The distribution of annuli in different regions of body is as follows.

Sr. No.
Body region
Segment No.
Distribution of annuli
Complete or incomplete
1
Cephalic region
I-V
I and II         Uni-annulate
Incomplete
III -                 Biannulate
Incomplete
IV and V       Tri-annulate
Incomplete
2
Pre-clitelar Region
VI-VIII
VI-       Tri-annulate

Incomplete
VII and VIII Quinqua-annulate 
complete segment
3
Clitelar region
IX I XI
Quinqua-annulate  
complete segment
4
Middle region
XII-XXII
Quinqua-annulate 
complete segment
5
Caudal region
XXIII- XV
XXIII           Tri-annulate
incomplete segment
XXIV and XXV   
 Bi-annulate
 incomplete segment
6
Posterior sucker
XXVIII – XXXIII
Uni- annulate.
 incomplete segment

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