Ultrastructure of prostate gland tissue in males and females with intersex phenomena of Littorina littorea L.

Abstract

In the prosobranch snail Littorina littorea (L., 1758) the ultrastructure of the prostate gland cells (pgc) in males and the altered glandular epithelium of the palliai oviduct of females in intersex stage 3 is compared. Regarding form, structure, organelles and secretory products the pgc in males are identical with the corresponding gland cells of the females. Consequently these results demonstrate that in females of intersex stage 3 the epithelium of the pallial oviduct, which originally consists of several (3) glandular parts, is transformed into a male prostate gland. © 1998 Kluwer Academic Publishers.