Where is Hirudo medicinalis found?
The range extends through parts of western and southern Europe to the Ural mountains and the countries bordering the northeastern Mediterranean (Sawyer, 1986).
What is an example of leech?
An example of a leech is a flat black worm that sticks to you in a swamp. An example of a leech is someone who befriends a elderly person in order to get their money. One that preys on or clings to another; a parasite.
What is the medical significance of the Hirudo medicinalis?
In medieval and early modern medicine, the medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis and its congeners H. verbana, H. troctina, and H. orientalis) was used to remove blood from a patient as part of a process to balance the humors that, according to Galen, must be kept in balance for the human body to function properly.
What is the common name for Hirudo medicinalis?
Medicinal leech
Map to
| Mnemonic i | HIRME |
|---|---|
| Common name i | Medicinal leech |
| Synonym i | – |
| Other names i | ›Hirudo medicinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Rank i | SPECIES |
What are the characteristics of a leech?
Leeches are segmented worms with suction cups at each end. Their bodies are flattened, much wider than they are thick. They are usually dark colored, often brown or sometimes black or dark green. Some species have no markings, others have spots and stripes.
What is a leeches life cycle?
Leeches make cocoons in which to deposit their eggs. A leech secretes its cocoon from glands–the cocoon initially encases the leech itself. When the cocoon slips off the leech’s body, the fertilized eggs attach to the cocoon and go with it. Leeches attach their cocoons to substrates such as rocks or plants.
What are the medical uses of leeches?
Clinical Overview
- Use. Leeches have been used for bloodletting, wound healing, and stimulating blood flow at postsurgical sites.
- Dosing. Consult existing guidelines for the use of leeches.
- Contraindications.
- Pregnancy/Lactation.
- Interactions.
- Adverse Reactions.
- Toxicology.
- Ischemic tissue.
How do Hirudo medicinalis reproduce?
Hirudo medicinalis is hermaphroditic, meaning it has both male and female sex organs that produce male and female gametes. During mating season, which typically runs through early June to August, leeches of reproductive maturity start producing sperm and eggs.
What class is Hirudo?
Clitellata
Hirudo/Class