Leech

For other uses, see Leech (disambiguation).

Leeches are segmented worms that belong to the phy-

lum Annelida and comprise the subclass Hirudinea.[1]
Like the oligochaetes, such as earthworms, leeches share
a clitellum and are hermaphrodites. Nevertheless, they
dier from the oligochaetes in signicant ways. For ex-
ample, leeches do not have bristles and the external seg-
mentation of their bodies does not correspond with the
internal segmentation of their organs. Their bodies are
much more solid as the spaces in their coelom are dense
with connective tissues. They also have two suckers, one
at each end.
The majority of leeches live in freshwater environ- Haemadipsa zeylanica, a terrestrial leech found in the mountains
ments, while some species can be found in terrestrial[2] of Japan
and marine environments. The best-known leeches,
such as the medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis, are
hematophagous, feeding on vertebrate blood and inver- mainly depends on the eventual fate of the oligochaetes,
tebrate hemolymph.[3] Most leech species, however, are which as noted above, do not form a natural group as tra-
predatory, feeding primarily by swallowing other inverte- ditionally circumscribed. Another possibility would be to
brates. Almost 700 species of leeches are currently rec- include the leeches in the taxon Oligochaeta, which would
ognized, of which some 100 are marine, 90 terrestrial and then be ranked as a class and contain most of the clitel-
the remainder freshwater taxa.[4] lates. The Branchiobdellida are leechlike clitellates that
were formerly included in the Hirudinea, but are just re-
Leeches, such as the Hirudo medicinalis, have been ally close relatives.
historically used in medicine to remove blood from
patients.[5] The practice of leeching can be traced to an- The more primitive Acanthobdellidea are often included
cient India and Greece, and continued well into the 18th with the leeches, but some authors treat them as a sep-
and 19th centuries in both Europe and North America. arate clitellate group. True leeches of the infraclass
In modern times, leeches are used medically in proce- Euhirudinea have both anterior and posterior suckers.
dures such as the reattachment of body parts and recon- They are divided into two groups: Arhynchobdellida and
structive and plastic surgeries[6] and, in Germany, treating Rhynchobdellida
osteoarthritis.[7][8]
Rhynchobdellida are jawless leeches, armed with
a muscular, straw-like proboscis puncturing organ in
a retractable sheath. The Rhynchobdellae consist of
1 Taxonomy and systematics two families:

Leeches are presumed to have evolved from certain Glossiphoniidae are attened leeches with
Oligochaeta, most of which feed on detritus. However, poorly dened anterior suckers.
some species in the Lumbriculidae are predatory and have Piscicolida have cylindrical bodies and usu-
similar adaptations as found in leeches. As a conse- ally well-marked, bell-shaped, anterior suck-
quence, the systematics and taxonomy of leeches is in ers. The Glossiphoniidae live in freshwater
need of review. While leeches form a clade, the remain- habitats; the Pisciolidae are found in seawater
ing oligochaetes are not their sister taxon, but in a di- habitats.
verse paraphyletic group containing some lineages that
are closely related to leeches, and others that are far more Arhynchobdellida lack a proboscis and may or may
distant. not have jaws armed with teeth. Arhynchobellids
are divided into two orders:
There is some dispute as to whether Hirudinea should be
a class itself, or a subclass of the Clitellata. The resolution Gnathobdela: This order of jawed leeches,

1
2 2 ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

armed with teeth, includes the quintessential

leech: the European medical (bloodsucking)
leech, Hirudo medicinalis. It has a tripar-
tite jaw lled with hundreds of tiny, sharp
teeth. The incision mark left on the skin by
the European medical leech is an inverted Y
inside a circle. Its North American counter-
part is Macrobdela decora, a much less e-
cient medical leech.[9] Within this order, the
family Hirudidae is characterized by aquatic
leeches and the family Haemadipsidae by ter-
restrial leeches. In the latter are Haemadipsa
sylvestris, the Indian leech and Haemadipsa
zeylanica (yamabiru), the Japanese mountain
or land leech.
Pharyngobdella: These so-called worm-
leeches consist of freshwater or amphibious
leeches that have lost the ability to penetrate
a hosts tissue and suck blood. They are
carnivorous and equipped with a relatively
large, toothless mouth to ingest worms or
insect larvae, which are swallowed whole.
The Pharyngobdella have six to eight pairs of
eyes, as compared with ve pairs in Gnathob-
delliform leeches, and include three related
families. The Erpobdellidae are some species
from freshwater habitats.

The leech and its nervous system

bite site of leech on Dairy cow udder

2 Anatomy and physiology

Like other annelids, the leech is a segmented animal. But
unlike other annelids, there is no correspondence between
the external segmentation of a leechs body surface and
the segmentation of its internal organs.[1] The body sur-
face of the animal can be divided into 102 annuli, whereas
its internal structures are divided into 32 segments.[10] Of
the 32 segments within the body, the rst four anterior
segments are designated head segments, which include
an anterior brain and sucker. These are followed by 21 The number and position of eyes are essential for distinguishing
midbody segments, which include 21 neuronal ganglia, the leech species.
two reproductive organs, and 9 pairs of testes. Finally,
the last seven segments are fused to form the animals tail
sucker, as well as its posterior brain.
2.2 Digestion 3

2.1 Reproduction and development 2.2 Digestion

Leeches are hermaphrodites, meaning each has both fe-

male and male reproductive organs (ovaries and testes,
respectively). Leeches reproduce by reciprocal fertiliza-
tion, and sperm transfer occurs during copulation. Like
earthworms, leeches use a clitellum to hold their eggs and
secrete the cocoon.
During reproduction, leeches use hypodermic injection
of their sperm. They use a spermatophore, which is
a structure containing the sperm. Once next to each
other, leeches will line up with ones anterior side op-
posite the others posterior. Each leech then shoots the
spermatophore into the clitellar region of the other leech,
where its sperm will make its way to the female repro-
ductive parts.
The embryonic development of the larva occurs as a se- Mouthparts and sucker
ries of stages. During stage 1, the rst cleavage occurs,
which gives rise to an AB and a CD blastomere, and is
in the interphase of this cell division when a yolk-free
cytoplasm called teloplasm is formed.[11] The teloplasm
is known to be a determinant for the specication of the
D cell fate.[12] In stage 3, during the second cleavage, an
unequal division occurs in the CD blastomere. As a con-
sequence, it creates a large D cell on the left and a smaller
C cell to the right. This unequal division process is depen-
dent on actomyosin,[13] and by the end of stage 3 the AB
cell divides. On stage 4 of development, the micromeres
and teloblast stem cells are formed and subsequently, the
D quadrant divides to form the DM and the DNOPQ
teloblast precursor cells. By the end stage 6, the zygote
Leech cross-section
contains a set of 25 micromeres, 3 macromeres (A, B and
C) and 10 teloblasts derived from the D quadrant.[14] In most blood-sucking leeches the digestive system starts
The teloblasts are pairs of ve dierent types (M, N, with the jaws, three blades set at an angle to each other.
O, P, and Q) of embryonic stem cells that form seg- In feeding they slice their way through the skin of the
mented columns of cells (germinal band) in the surface host, leaving a Y-shaped incision. Behind the blades is the
of the embryo.[15] The M-derived cells make mesoderm mouth, located ventrally at the anterior end of the body.
and some small set of neurons, N results in neural tissues It leads successively into the pharynx, then the esopha-
and some ventral ectoderm, Q contributes to the dorsal gus, the crop, the gizzard, and the intestinum, which ends
ectoderm and O and P in the leech are equipotent cells at the posterior sucker. The crop is a distension of the
(same developmental potential) that produce lateral ecto- alimentary canal that functions as an expandable storage
derm; however the dierence between the two of them compartment. In the crop, some blood-sucking species of
is that P creates bigger batches of dorsolateral epidermis leech can store up to ve times the body mass of blood.
than O.[12] The sludgeworm Tubifex, unlike the leech, The leech produces an anticoagulant that prevents the
species the O and P lineages early in development and stored blood from clotting, plus other agents that inhibit
therefore, these two cells are not equipotent.[16] Each seg- microbial decay of the blood. These measures are so ef-
ment of the body of the leech is generated from one M, fective that a mature medicinal leech does not need to
O, P cell types and two N and two Q cells types.[12] feed more than twice a year.
The ectoderm and mesoderm of the body trunk are ex- The bodies of predatory leeches are similar, though in-
clusively derived from the teloblast cells in a region called stead of jaws many have a protrusible proboscis, which
the posterior progress zone.[17][18] The head of the leech for most of the time they keep retracted into the mouth.
that comes from an unsegmented region, is formed by the Such leeches often are ambush predators that lie in wait
rst set of micromeres derived from A, B, C and D cells, till they can strike prey with the proboscises in a spear-
keeping the bilateral symmetry between the AD and BC like fashion.[19] Some kinds that live on small inverte-
cells.[18] brates or detritus have neither proboscis nor jaws, but
4 3 BEHAVIOR

simply engulf their food with the mouth.

Bacteria in the gut were long thought to carry on digestion
for the leech, instead of endogenous enzymes that are
very low or absent in the intestine. As discovered rela-
tively recently, all leech species studied do produce en-
dogenous intestinal exopeptidases,[20] which can unlink
free terminal-end amino acids, one monomer at a time
from a gradually unwinding and degrading protein poly-
mer. However, unzipping of the protein can start from
either the amino (tail) or carboxyl (head) terminal-end
of the protein molecule. The leech exopeptidases (ary-
lamidases), starting from the tail or amino end and pos-
sibly aided by proteases from endosymbiotic bacteria in Leech attacking a slug
the intestine, slowly but progressively remove many hun-
dreds of individual terminal amino acids for resynthesis
into proteins that constitute the leech. Since leeches lack open wounds of amphibians, reptiles, waterfowl, sh, and
endopeptidases, the mechanism of protein digestion can- mammals. A leech attaches itself when it bites, and it will
not follow the same sequence as it would in all other ani- stay attached until it becomes full, at which point it falls
mals in which exopeptidases act sequentially on peptides o to digest. Due to the hirudin secreted, bites may bleed
produced by the action of endopeptidases.[20] Exopep- more than a normal wound after the leech is removed.[21]
tidases are especially prominent in the common North Leech salivae are commonly believed to contain
American worm-leech Erpobdella punctata. This evolu- anesthetic compounds to numb the bite area, but this
tionary choice of exopeptic digestion in Hirudinea distin- has never been proven.[22][23] Although morphine-like
guishes these carnivorous clitellates from Oligochaeta. substances have been found in leeches, they have been
Deciency of digestive enzymes (except exopeptidases), found in the neural tissues, not the salivary tissues.
but, more importantly, deciency of vitamins, B com- They are used by the leeches in modulating their own
plex for example, in leeches is compensated for by en- immunocytes and not for anesthetizing bite areas on
zymes and vitamins produced by endosymbiotic mi- their hosts.[23][24] Depending on the species and size,
croora. In Hirudo medicinalis, these supplementary fac- leech bites can be barely noticeable or they can be fairly
tors are produced by an obligatory symbiotic relation- painful.[23][25][26]
ship with two bacterial species, Aeromonas veronii and Leeches normally carry parasites in their digestive tracts,
a still-uncharacterized Rikenella species. Nonbloodsuck- which cannot survive in humans and do not pose a threat.
ing leeches, such as Erpobdella punctata, are host to However, bacteria, viruses, and parasites from previous
three bacterial symbionts, Pseudomonas, Aeromonas, and blood sources can survive within a leech for months, but
Klebsiella spp. (a slime producer). The bacteria are only a few cases of leeches transmitting pathogens to hu-
passed from parent to ospring in the cocoon as it is mans have been reported.[27] A study found both HIV and
formed. hepatitis B in African leeches from Cameroon.[28]

3.1.1 Prevention, removal and treatment

3 Behavior
One recommended method of removal is using a nger-
Leeches are able to display a variety of behaviors that al- nail or other at, blunt object to break the seal of the oral
low them to explore their environments and feed on their sucker at the anterior end of the leech, repeating with the
hosts. Exploratory behavior includes head movements posterior end, then icking the leech away. As the nger-
and body waving.[3] nail is pushed along the persons skin against the leech,
the suction of the suckers seal is broken, at which point
the leech will detach its jaws.[31][32]
3.1 Feeding
Common, but medically inadvisable, techniques to re-
Some leech species prey on small invertebrates, which move a leech are to apply a ame, a lit cigarette, salt,
they swallow whole. To feed on their hosts, leeches use soap, or a chemical such as alcohol, vinegar, lemon juice,
their anterior suckers to connect to hosts for feeding. insect repellent, heat rub, or certain carbonated drinks.
Once attached, leeches use a combination of mucus and These will cause the leech to quickly detach; however, it
suction to stay attached and secrete an anticoagulant en- will also regurgitate its stomach contents into the wound.
zyme, hirudin, into the hosts blood streams. Only certain The vomit may carry disease, and thus increase the risk
species of leeches feed on blood, and not all species can of infection.[31][32][33]
bite; 90% of them feed solely on decomposing bodies and An externally attached leech will detach and fall o on its
 5

4 Medicinal use of leeches

Further information: Hirudotherapy
The European medical leech Hirudo medicinalis and

Leeches for sale

some congeners, as well as some other species, have

been used for clinical bloodletting for thousands of years.
The use of leeches in medicine dates as far back as
A land leech can be removed by hand, since they do not burrow 2,500 years ago, when they were used for bloodletting
into the skin or leave the head in the wound.[29] A sore devel- in ancient India. Leech therapy is explained in ancient
ops and lasts for about a week.[30] Grande Ronde River, Oregon Ayurvedic texts. Many ancient civilizations practiced
(U.S.) bloodletting, including Indian and Greek civilizations. In
ancient Greek history, bloodletting was practiced accord-
ing to the humoral theory, which proposed that, when
the human bodys four humors blood, phlegm, and
black and yellow bile were in balance, good health was
guaranteed. An imbalance in the proportions of these hu-
own when it is satiated on blood, which may be anywhere mors was believed to be the cause of ill health. Records
from 20 minutes to two hours or more. After feeding, of this theory were found in the Greek philosopher Hip-
the leech will detach and depart.[33] Internal attachments, pocrates collection in the fth century BC. Bloodletting
such as inside the nasal passage or vaginal attachments, using leeches was one method used by physicians to bal-
are more likely to require medical intervention.[34][35] ance the humors and to rid the body of the plethora.
After removal or detachment, the wound should be
The use of leeches in modern medicine made a small-
cleaned with soap and water, and bandaged. Bleeding scale comeback in the 1980s after years of decline, with
may continue for some time, due to the leechs hirudin.
the advent of microsurgeries, such as plastic and recon-
Bleeding time will vary, with location, from a few hours structive surgeries. In operations such as these, problem-
to three days. This is a function of the hirudin and other
atic venous congestion can arise due to inecient venous
compounds that reduce the surface tension of the blood. drainage. Sometimes, because of the technical dicul-
Anticlotting medications also aect the bleeding time.
ties in forming an anastomosis of a vein, no attempt is
Applying pressure can reduce bleeding, although blood made to reattach a venous supply to a ap at all. This
loss from a single bite is not dangerous. The wound nor- condition is known as venous insuciency. If this con-
mally itches as it heals, but should not be scratched, as gestion is not cleared up quickly, the blood will clot, ar-
this may complicate healing and introduce other infec- teries that bring the tissues their necessary nourishment
tions. An antihistamine can reduce itching, and applying will become plugged, and the tissues will die. To pre-
a cold pack can reduce pain or swelling. vent this, leeches are applied to a congested ap, and a
Some people suer severe allergic or anaphylactic reac- certain amount of excess blood is consumed before the
tions from leech bites and require urgent medical care. leech falls away. The wound will also continue to bleed
Symptoms include red blotches or an itchy rash over the for a while due to the anticoagulant hirudin in the leechs
body, swelling around the lips or eyes, feeling faint or saliva. The combined eect is to reduce the swelling in
dizzy, and diculty breathing.[33] the tissues and to promote healing by allowing fresh, oxy-
A study conducted by ARPA in 1963 determined that genated blood to reach the area.[37]
hydroxycitronellal was an eective repellent against both The active anticoagulant component of leech saliva is a
aquatic and terrestrial leeches.[36] small protein, hirudin. Discovery and isolation of this
6 5 REFERENCES

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[36] http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/413979.pdf

[37] http://abcnews.go.com/Health/PainManagement/story?
id=4379952

6 External links
Leech fact sheet, Australian Museum
How to remove a leech
Biotherapy with leeches and maggots
8 7 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

7 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

7.1 Text
Leech Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leech?oldid=774956945 Contributors: Josh Grosse, Danny, XJaM, Rmhermen, PierreAbbat,
Hephaestos, Michael Hardy, Tim Starling, Zocky, Kwertii, Earth, DopeshJustin, Dante Alighieri, Dominus, Liftarn, Menchi, David4286,
Kosebamse, Ahoerstemeier, Jimfbleak, Muriel Gottrop~enwiki, TUF-KAT, Angela, Ineuw, Jnc, Jeeves, Shizhao, Pakaran, Eugene van
der Pijll, Finlay McWalter, Merriam~enwiki, Robbot, WormRunner, Altenmann, Naddy, Lowellian, P-nippy, Silonh02, Bkell, UtherSRG,
Dave6, DocWatson42, Rafaelgr, Netoholic, Abigail-II, Everyking, Alison, Kukkurovaca, Yath, Kimvu, Peter bertok, Jbinder, Yonkeltron,
Mike Rosoft, Rich Farmbrough, Nina Gerlach, Notinasnaid, Xezbeth, Martpol, Bender235, Neko-chan, Violetriga, RJHall, CanisRufus,
Fir0002, Smalljim, Clawson, Shenme, Viriditas, Nk, Ardric47, 99of9, MPerel, Pearle, Nsaa, Zachlipton, Alansohn, Gary, Free Bear, He-
manth, Plumbago, Valrie75, Hypersonic, DreamGuy, Hohum, Colin Kimbrell, Irdepesca572, Suruena, Adrian.benko, Stemonitis, Angr,
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