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Article: Role of digestive gland in the energetic metabolism of Penaeus setiferus.
- Article from:
- The Biological Bulletin
- Article date:
- October 1, 1995
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1995 Marine Biological Laboratory. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Introduction
The digestive gland (also known as the midgut gland or hepatopancreas) of decapod crustaceans serves the dual role of secreting enzymes and absorbing digested food. This gland is composed of embryonic (E) cells, which give rise to two basic cell types: R cells (Restzellen), which store nutrients, and F cells (Fibrillenzellen), which secrete enzymes (Hirsch and Jacobs, 1930). The F cells develop into B cells (Blasenzellen), a more mature secretory stage with a large vacuole containing digestive enzymes (Gibson and Barker, 1979). The overall functions of the digestive gland, including the temporal relationship of secretion and absorption to food ...