Wall Street Hedge

Tuesday, March 9, 2021
Log in
  • Home
  • Nation & Politics
  • Financial News
  • Technology & Research
  • Lifestyle & Health
    • Latest News
      • Business
      • Nature
      • Science
      • World
      • VA Hospitals Are Still Under Investigation for Suspected Drug Thefts

Flatworm Can Inject Sperm Into Its Head To Fertilize

By Leave a Comment

Flatworm Can Inject Sperm Into Its Head To Fertilize

Macrostomum hystrix flatworm adult

A free-living hermaphrodite flatworm, called Macrostomum hystrix can inject sperm into its head to fertilize, in harsh conditions when no mates are to be found.

The reproduction instinct is extremely powerful in the large and small creatures of the world. This is what seems to lie at the core of their existence, because they are born and from there on, they spend their lives doing their best to develop as well as possible, so that they may either bare their offspring or find suitable mates who could do that best. This is what keeps the world turning.

So it should come as no surprise that some hermaphroditic species have developed the extraordinary ability to self-fertilize in order to perpetuate the species, as they feel that they must do this at any price. If suitable mates are available, they will obviously be the main choice.

However, in the event that the animal encounters particularly harsh conditions, when there are no mates to be found, it will be able to use its own reproductive material, so that it may fulfill its role and create a viable offspring.

This is the case of the Macrostomum hystrix, which is a free-living flatworm which is known for its large mouth which it uses to catch its prey, but also for its ability to perform a particular type of fertilization, called hypodermic insemination. Moreover, this ability comes in handy in order to perform auto-feritilization if the situation calls for it.

This process involves that the flatworm uses its pointy needle-shaped copulatory organ in order to deposit its sperm. Flatworms are capable of performing normal cross-fertilization, that implies that one flatworm will deposit its sperm into another flatworm’s genital pore, but they are also capable of hypodermic insemination. This implies that the sharp copulatory organ is used to pierce the skin of another flatworm, in order to deposit the sperm.

While this might seem like an improper insemination process, it should be mentioned that flatworms do not have specialized layers covering its organs and setting them apart in different compartments. The flatworm has is digestive, excretory, respiratory and reproductive system in the same compartment that is delimited by the worm’s outer layer.

Therefore, when the skin is pierced, the sperms can migrate towards the organ that contains the eggs and thus, the fertilization can easily take place. The outer layer of the worm can heal afterwords, and so the damage is not permanent or lethal.

Precisely because it can heal, the flatworm can use this fertilization technique to fertilize itself when the environment conditions it encounters are not suitable for cross-fertilization. Due to the elongated disposition of its body, the best way for it to do so is to curve itself and stick its pointy copulatory organ in its head. Thus, the sperm is delivered successfully.

Naturally, the offspring generated by this method well not thrive as well as a the cross-fertilization offspring could, but it is capable of ensuring that the species has been successfully perpetuated.
Image Source: macrostomorpha.info

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr

Filed Under: Technology & Research

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 15 other subscribers

Recent Articles

AXA building in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Insurer AXA To Buy XL Group For $15 Billion

By Leave a Comment

New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street.

Wall Street Comes Out Intact As Global Stock Rise

By Leave a Comment

Ryanair profits are up despite threats of pilot strike.

Ryanair Profits Are Up But A New Pilot Strike May Be Around The Corner

By Leave a Comment

Bitcoin bubble may burst, analysts speculate.

Bitcoin Bubble Shows Signs Of Bursting

By Leave a Comment

One percent amassed 82 percent of the world's fortune last year.

82 Percent Of The World’s Wealth Went To The One Percent In 2017, According To Oxfam Report (Report)

By Leave a Comment

Morgan Stanley will be hit with a $1.25 billion charge as part of the new Republican tax cut.

Morgan Stanley To Be Hit With $1.25 Billion Charge From Republican Tax Reform

By Leave a Comment

General Electric Laboratory

High Demand For Renewable Forces General Electric To Slash 12 Thousand Jobs Worldwide

By Leave a Comment

Cryptocurrency bitcoin coins

Cryptocurrency Is Worth More Than JPMorgan, Bitcoin Raises Concerns

By Leave a Comment

Computer circuit board

Chipmaker Company, Marvell Technology, to Buy its Rival Cavium in $6 billion Deal

By Leave a Comment

Thanksgiving dinner

Thanksgiving Dinner Will Cost Less This Year as Food Gets Cheaper

By Leave a Comment

Doctors in surgery

Vermont Is Preparing New Health Care System

By Leave a Comment

Saudi Arabia’s capital city Riyadh

Saudi Arabia Has Just Bought Huge Stake in Uber

By Leave a Comment

No Agreement Yet on the Trans-Pacific Partnership

By Leave a Comment

Samsung Shareholders Approve Deal Which Sees Lee Family Gain More Control

By Leave a Comment

Related Articles

  • Google Home speaker placed on a wooden shelf

    The Spanish Google Home Might Be a Serious Blow for Amazon Alexa

  • Sea of Thieves screenshot showing an underwater pirate

    Sea of Thieves Devs Announce the Official Release Date of the First DLC

  • Xiaomi logo on an orange background

    Xiaomi Won’t Bring Its Smartphones to US but Has Smart Devices and Accessories

  • Nintendo logo on a red background

    Nintendo and Cygames Are Working on a Mobile RPG Called Dragalia Lost

  • Blue-green exoplanet that is uninhabitable

    Researchers Create Alien Searching AI to Find Exoplanets that Might Host Life

  • Fake news on laptop.

    Fake News Spreads A Lot Faster On Social Media Than The Truth (Study)

  • desktop computer with facebook on screen and mouse and keyboard in front

    People Spent Less Time on Facebook at the End of 2017

  • counter-strike global offensive logo in black on white

    Jess Cliffe, the Co-Creator of Counter-Strike, Was Arrested

  • mark zuckerberg against a blue background with facebook on it

    Facebook Updates: Local News Gain Visibility

  • A building with the Tesla logo on it

    Tesla Inc to Turn On World’s Biggest Lithium-Ion Battery in Australia

Categories

  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Financial News
  • Lifestyle & Health
  • Nation & Politics
  • National News
  • Nature
  • Science
  • Technology & Research
  • World

Copyright © 2021 WallStreetHedge.com

About · Privacy Policy · Terms of Use · Contact

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn more.