Journal of Cytology & Histology

Histological and Scanning Electron Microscopic Studies on the Sensory Organs of the Terrestrial Flatworm Bipalium kewense

Abstract

Abdel-Haleem AA, Beltagi SM and Ali AS

The present work investigated histological and cytological studies, using SEM, included sensory organs of flatworm Bipalium kewense. The shovel-headplate of B. kewense is limited all around its margin by distinct sensory organs, consisting of a row of sensory papillae, pits and eyespots. Sensory papillae and sensory pits are situated at the peripheral edge of worm-head whereas numerous eyespots are located within the margin of the dorsal shovelheadplate and along the body margin. Each eye is composed of pigment cells surrounding half moon-like lens and retinal cells. The present results suggested that the sensory papillae and pits are chemo-receptors.