Abstract
The so-called pseudocoelomates are differentiated from the acoelomate groups by the presence of a true fluid-filled body cavity called a pseudocoel. Despite the name there is nothing false about this cavity, but it differs from a coelom in that it is bounded by the body-wall musculature and the gut wall; there are no muscles around the gut (Figure 2.1). Also the cavity is not lined with a membrane (no mesentery) and the organs, including the gut, lie free in the pseudocoel. There may, however, be a nucleated or fibrous network within the pseudocoel (Maggenti, 1976). The continuity of the pseudocoel has been demonstrated in Ascaris by the continuous perfusion of dye through the cavity (Fleming and Fetterer, 1984).
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© 1986 David A. Wharton
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Wharton, D.A. (1986). Functional Organisation. In: A Functional Biology of Nematodes. Functional Biology Series. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-8516-9_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-8516-9_2
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