Mesoglea

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This article is about mesoglea of coelenterates. For matrix in sponges, see mesohyl.

Mesoglea is the translucent, non-living, jelly-like substance found between the two epithelial cell layers in the bodies of coelenterates.

The mesoglea is mostly water. Other than water, the mesoglea is composed of several substances including fibrous proteins like collagen and heparan sulphate proteoglycans.[1] The mesoglea is mostly acellular,[2] but in both cnidaria[3] and ctenophora[4] the mesoglea contains muscle bundles and nerve fibres. Other nerve and muscle cells lie just under the epithelial layers.[2] The mesoglea also contains wandering amoebocytes that play a role in phagocytosing debris and bacteria. These cells also fight infections by producing antibacterial chemicals.[5]

The mesoglea may be thinner than either of the cell layers[6] in smaller coelenterates like a hydra or may make up the bulk of the body in larger jellyfish. The mesoglea serves as an internal skeleton, supporting the body. Its elastic properties help restore the shape after it is deformed by the contraction of muscles.[7] However, without the buoyancy of water to support it, the mesoglea is not stiff enough to bear the weight of the body and coelenterates collapse when they are taken out of water.[citation needed]

See also

  • Anatomy of corals

References

  1. ↑ Sarras, M. P.; Madden, M. E.; Zhang, X.; Gunwar, S.; Huff, J. K.; Hudson, B. G. (1991). "Extracellular matrix (mesoglea) of Hydra vulgaris". Developmental Biology 148 (2): 481–494. doi:10.1016/0012-1606(91)90266-6. PMID 1743396. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Josephson, R. (2004). "The Neural Control of Behavior in Sea Anemones". Journal of Experimental Biology 207 (14): 2371–2372. doi:10.1242/jeb.01059. 
  3. ↑ Werner, B.; Chapman, D. M.; Cutress, C. E. (1976). "Muscular and nervous systems of the cubopolyp (Cnidaria)". Experientia 32 (8): 1047–1049. doi:10.1007/BF01933964. 
  4. ↑ Hernandez-Nicaise, M. L. (1973). "The nervous system of ctenophores III. Ultrastructure of synapses". Journal of Neurocytology 2 (3): 249–263. doi:10.1007/BF01104029. PMID 9224490. 
  5. ↑ Hutton, Danielle M. C.; Smith, Valerie J. (1996). "Antibacterial Properties of Isolated Amoebocytes from the Sea Anemone Actinia equina". Biological Bulletin 191 (3): 441–451. doi:10.2307.2F1543017. JSTOR 1543017. 
  6. ↑ Campbell, Richard D. (1976). "Elimination by Hydra interstitial and nerve cells by means of colchicine". Journal of Cell Science 21 (1): 1–13. PMID 932105. 
  7. ↑ Kier, W. M. (2012). "The diversity of hydrostatic skeletons". Journal of Experimental Biology 215 (8): 1247–1257. doi:10.1242/jeb.056549. 


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