Sequentially bidirectional gastrovascular flows in intricately branched digestive tract of planocerid flatworms
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: 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.
Source: PLoS ONE
Authors: Po-Chun Hsu, Yu-Hsun Chang, Yu-Ning Chiu, Wei-Ban Jie
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,290
OpenAlex ID: W4405564364