typhlosole
A typhlosole is an internal fold of the intestine or intestine inner wall. Typhlosoles occur in bivalve mollusks and some annelids, and echinoderms.
In earthworms, it is a dorsal flap of the intestine that runs along most of its length. Its function is to increase intestine surface area for more efficient absorption of digested nutrients. In different earthworm families, the typhlosole appears to have multiple origins. The Lumbricidae, for example, have a typhlosole which is an infolding of all layers of the intestine wall, whereas in some other families (e.g. Megascolecidae), it is an infolding of only the inner layer, and in many earthworms it is absent.
See also
- body cavity {coelom)
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