The egg sorting function of the uterine bell ofPolymorphus minutus(Acanthocephala)

Abstract

An adult femalePolymorphus minutusreleases only mature eggs into the intestine of its final host. These eggs come from the pool of eggs in the body cavity of the worm which contains only about 30% of mature eggs, the rest being immature. An analysis of the age structures of the egg populations in the body cavity and the uterus shows that an assortment of mature and immature eggs has taken place as the eggs pass from the body cavity to the uterus. The uterus contains only mature eggs and these are the eggs which are about to be released. The only pathway whereby eggs can enter the uterus from the body cavity is through the uterine bell. This suggests that it is the uterine bell which is able to select mature eggs from the mixture of eggs in the body cavity.A uterine bellin vitroengages in precisely patterned muscular activity which propels eggs through its branching lumen. In one part of the bell (the grooves between the median wall cells and the lappets of the uterine duct cells), the patterned muscular activity passes mature eggs into the uterus and immature eggs back into the body cavity to complete their development. The greater length of mature eggs seems to be the character which enables them to be ‘recognized‘ by the uterine bell.