Chloragogen cells, also called ''y cells'', are star-shaped cells in

annelids The annelids (), also known as the segmented worms, are animals that comprise the phylum Annelida (; ). The phylum contains over 22,000 extant species, including ragworms, earthworms, and leeches. The species exist in and have adapted to vario ...

involved with excretory functions and intermediary

metabolism Metabolism (, from ''metabolē'', "change") is the set of life-sustaining chemical reactions in organisms. The three main functions of metabolism are: the conversion of the energy in food to energy available to run cellular processes; the co ...

. These cells function similar to the

liver The liver is a major metabolic organ (anatomy), organ exclusively found in vertebrates, which performs many essential biological Function (biology), functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of var ...

found in vertebrates. Chloragogen tissue is most extensively studied in

earthworms An earthworm is a soil-dwelling terrestrial animal, terrestrial invertebrate that belongs to the phylum Annelida. The term is the common name for the largest members of the class (biology), class (or subclass (biology), subclass, depending on ...

Structure and location

These cells are derived from the inner coelomic epithelium and are present in the coelomic fluid of some annelids.''Biology and Ecology of Earthworms, Volume 3'', Clive A. Edwards, P.J. Bohlen, p.75 They have characteristic vesicular bulging due to their function in storing and transporting substances, and are yellow due to the presence of cytosolic granules known as chloragosomes.''Lysosomal acid hydrolases in the chloragogen cells of earthworms'', Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Physiology, Volume 45, A.T. Varute, N.K. More, Issue 2, p.607-635

Function

The most understood function of chloragogen tissue is its function in the excretory system. The cells accumulate and excrete

nitrogenous waste Metabolic wastes or excrements are substances left over from metabolic processes (such as cellular respiration) which cannot be used by the organism (they are surplus or toxic), and must therefore be excreted. This includes nitrogen compounds ...

s and

silicates A silicate is any member of a family of polyatomic anions consisting of silicon and oxygen, usually with the general formula , where . The family includes orthosilicate (), metasilicate (), and pyrosilicate (, ). The name is also used for an ...

.''Nature of Chloragogen Granules.'' Nature 179, p.679–680. They are involved in the

deamination Deamination is the removal of an amino group from a molecule. Enzymes that catalysis, catalyse this reaction are called deaminases. In the human body, deamination takes place primarily in the liver; however, it can also occur in the kidney. In s ...

of amino acids, synthesis of urea, storage of

glycogen Glycogen is a multibranched polysaccharide of glucose that serves as a form of energy storage in animals, fungi, and bacteria. It is the main storage form of glucose in the human body. Glycogen functions as one of three regularly used forms ...

and toxin neutralization.

References

Cell biology Annelid anatomy {{cell-biology-stub