Poison gland
In zoology , the poison gland is a gland that is used to generate ( synthesize ) and store toxins , i.e. substances that are poisonous for living beings . Such specialized organs occur in different taxonomic groups , so they have arisen through convergent evolution .
Poison glands are found in both invertebrates and vertebrates . Within the arachnids, the scorpions have poison glands in the last segment of their abdomen, which are connected with a poison sting . The also belonging to the arachnids spiders are the poison glands with the chelicerae , so the mouthparts connected. Centipedes have venom glands at the base of the legs of the first trunk segments. Among the insects , poison glands can be found either in the area of the mouthparts or, in the hymenoptera , at the base of the converted ovipositor (the laying apparatus of the females). Mollusks, and especially snakes, can have specialized salivary glands in which poisons are produced; in the case of the venomous snakes , these are connected to the fangs . Poison glands in the lower jaw of the crusty lizards have been known for a long time, it is only recently that the toxicity of the Komodo dragon has also been known and it is assumed that all members of the Toxicofera have poison gland tissue. In fish such as stingrays or lionfish , poison glands are often connected to fin or gill spines. Some amphibians , such as the poison dart frogs , produce their poisons in transformed skin glands. In mammals , venom glands are only found in the abdomen of the male platypus , which can inject the venom with hind leg spurs, as well as in some slow loris , shrews and weevils .
literature
- Keyword “poison glands” in: Herder-Lexikon der Biologie. Spectrum Akademischer Verlag GmbH, Heidelberg 2003. ISBN 3-8274-0354-5
