Digestive gland

DIGESTIVE GLAND 
  • It is a large, bilobed, dense and orange glandular mass which lies below the gonad and nearly fills up the cephalothoracic cavity. It surrounds the stomach on its later, ventral and posterior sides. It consists of numerous branching tubules completely held together by connective tissue. The tubules join to form larger canals, finally forming the two large hepatopancreatic ducts, which open into the ventral chamber of the pyloric stomach just behind the pyloric filter plate.

Functions of hepatopancreas

  • It functions as pancreas small intestine and liver of higher animals
  • It secretes digestive enzymes to digest carbohydrate, protein and fat (as pancreas)
  • It absorbs the digested food material (as intestine)
  • It serves as an important storage organ for glycogen, fat and calcium
  • Intracellular digestion takes place.
Last modified: Sunday, 18 September 2011, 5:08 AM