What kind of water are leeches found in? Leeches - Life. Reproductive system, reproduction and development
The medicinal leech has powerful, well-developed muscles. Muscles lie under an outer layer of integumentary tissue, the cells of which reliably protect them from harmful environmental influences. The muscles, which make up 70% of the leech's total body volume, are heterogeneous in structure. It is represented by several layers of specialized muscle bundles.
Just under the skin are the circular muscles. Their contraction in response to nerve impulses causes an increase in the length of the leech’s body: it elongates. Under the ring layer there are bundles of longitudinal muscles, which are best developed in the leech. The activity of these muscles causes a decrease in the length of the leech's body, causing it to shrink. The medicinal leech also has developed dorso-abdominal muscles.
The digestive organs of the medicinal leech are of greatest interest to medicine and zoology, since it is the features of this physiological system that make it possible to use the leech as a medicinal agent. The leech is defined by scientists as a true hematophage (from the Greek haima - blood and phagos - devouring).
This definition is absolutely correct, since the medicinal leech does not feed on anything other than blood. At the same time, it is capable of assimilating exclusively the blood of vertebrate animals. differs from other hirudins, which have adapted to eating all kinds of aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates. The medicinal leech is adapted to consuming the blood of any vertebrates, but its main host can only be a large mammal, including humans.
The digestive tract of the leech opens at the anterior end of the body with the mouth opening. In the depths of the oral cavity, immediately in front of the pharynx, there are three small white bodies in the shape of a half lens. This is the jaw apparatus of a leech. Two jaws are lateral, and the third is dorsal. Each jaw bears from 80 to 90 small teeth. The teeth of a medicinal leech are very sharp, which allows it to quickly bite through the thick skin of warm-blooded animals.
The leech's pharynx is short, it is surrounded by thick bundles of powerful muscles. This muscle compresses the pharyngeal walls and promotes active swallowing of blood from the wound cut by the denticles. Following the pharynx is the esophagus, which passes into the multi-chamber stomach, also called the gastric intestine. An intensive process of blood accumulation occurs here, which is served by 10 pairs of segments capable of expanding.
The gastric intestine is the most voluminous part of the digestive system of a medicinal leech. Segments of the stomach, called chambers, are formed by narrowing in several places of the originally straight tube of the alimentary canal. The constrictions divided the tube into a number of partially separate sections, the walls of each of them subsequently began to protrude. Lateral protrusions of the chambers led to the appearance of pouch-like processes, increasing the volume of segments of the gastric intestine.
Throughout this part of the digestive canal, the size of the sections is different, because bag-like protrusions are developed unequally. The largest segments are located at the end of the stomach; closer to the pharynx they become smaller. This structure of the stomach intestine, together with its ability to stretch, gives the leech the ability to suck out (take away, as they also say) the blood of the owner.
The stomach reserves provide a well-fed leech for several months. At the same time, if we take into account the total volume of blood circulating in the mammal’s body, the leech does not take so much from the owner. A medium-sized leech, reaching a mass of 2 g, sucks no more than 8 ml of blood, although in principle it is capable of absorbing up to 10-15 ml, i.e. almost 8 times its own weight. The stomach segments of a healthy leech serve as a reliable storage of blood, which does not clot in them, does not become infected with microbes, and does not deteriorate for any other reason.
Previously, doctors forced leeches to regurgitate sucked blood in order to empty their stomachs and force them to suck blood again. This made it possible to reuse leeches. Belching occurs when a leech is immersed in vinegar, wine or saline solution. Artificial belching is also caused by squeezing the leech with your fingers. Now such techniques are not used; doctors do not force leeches to regurgitate, since repeated regurgitation medicinal qualities leeches are significantly reduced, their delicate digestive system is injured. Under natural conditions, healthy leeches never regurgitate.
Digestive system of a medicinal leech: 1 - jaws and pharynx; 2 - gastric intestine; 3 - terminal gut; 4 - anus
If blood accumulation occurs in the leech’s stomach, then the digestion process takes place in the terminal intestine. It is very short, less than 1/4 of the length of the leech’s body and resembles a thin straight tube. Blood enters this tube in small portions for digestion. The shortest section of the digestive canal is the anus. Digested blood residues enter here, forming feces, which are then evacuated through the anus (powder).
Leeches have bowel movements regularly, up to several times a day. Therefore, the water in the vessel where used leeches are stored periodically becomes colored. Frequent coloring of water should not cause any concern, since it only indicates the health of the leeches and the normality of their physiological functions. Clogging of water that occurs from time to time does not cause any harm to leeches if the water is regularly changed.
Caring for leeches is necessary. It consists not only in periodically refreshing the water in the vessel. When keeping leeches, maintaining normal light and temperature conditions is important. However, it is strictly forbidden to feed leeches. Only hungry leeches, capable of greedily sucking blood, are suitable for medicinal use.
In addition to sharp teeth and a powerful throat, the salivary glands of the leech are the most important device for sucking blood. As a matter of fact, it is the function of these glands that determines the interest of doctors in the leech. Salivary glands leeches are located around the pharynx, forming a large accumulation of negligible whitish balls.
Each such ball is a gland body consisting of a single cell. Inside this cell there is a large nucleus, which has a small nucleolus with chromosomes and filled with chromatin grains. The rest of the internal space of the cell is filled with a special liquid - cytoplasm, in which grains producing secretions are suspended salivary glands. This secretion, i.e. the final product of biochemical synthesis, flows through the excretory duct and mixes with the water present in the leech’s body. As a result, saliva containing biologically active substances is formed.
Each glandular cell is equipped with a duct, thus connecting to the jaws. The ducts gradually, as they approach the jaws, unite into bundles. These tufts run inside the jaws, ending on their surfaces and opening into small openings between the teeth. From these holes saliva enters the wound bitten by the leech.
The secretion of saliva, as shown by the experiments of L. Shapovalenko, occurs continuously during the entire act of sucking. The active components of the secretion of the salivary glands determine its biological and pharmacological properties.
Biochemical reactions that require high temperatures or strong acids and alkalis cannot take place in living cells. To cause the transformation of various substances, the human body has a supply of some specific compounds called enzymes. They are active at normal body temperature and act as regulators of intra- and extracellular transformations of organic substances.
Since the digestion process begins already during chewing, during the processing of food with saliva, it is here that enzymes first react, breaking down and converting the nutrients contained in food. We see the same thing in leeches. The main enzyme of the salivary glands of the leech is hirudin, but some other enzymes also play an important role: hyaluronidase, destabilase, orgelase, antistasin, decorzin, viburnum, eglin. In total, leech saliva contains up to 20 active proteins.
Previously, we spoke mainly about enzymes that accelerate chemical transformations. These are catalysts, i.e. reaction activators. However, there are also regulators of reverse action, also contained in the secretion of the salivary glands of the leech. They are inhibitors, i.e. they suppress the activity of other enzymes and dampen certain reactions.
Hirudin and many other substances in the secretion of the salivary glands of the medicinal leech are both inhibitors that suppress the blood coagulation reaction and catalysts that break down many proteins in our plasma. Chemical analysis of the tissues of the medicinal leech revealed a reduced content of hirudin in all parts of its digestive system.
In the terminal gut, hirudin is broken down by another type of enzyme. Thanks to this, blood clotting is possible here, the clots of which are immediately broken down by digestive juices into amino acids. This is how the blood mass is digested in the leech’s intestines.
The medicinal leech has a nervous system built according to a completely special model, different from the nervous organization of lower or, on the contrary, higher representatives of the animal kingdom. More primitive jellyfish and hydra have a dense network of neurons instead of a nervous system ( nerve cells), controlling the reactions of these creatures.
Of the special sensory organs, the leech has only eyes, although they are represented in large numbers. Remember that a leech has 10 eyes. They are spherical chambers that do not have a lens and carry 50 photoreceptors. Judging by the structure of the eyes, the leech does not perceive a complete image. But she responds well to many external influences, although she lacks the organs of smell and touch. Irritations are captured by sensitive skin cells, which are either elements of sensory kidneys (receptors) or nerve endings. Most of the sensory buds and nerves are concentrated at the anterior end of the leech’s body.
Nerve fibers extend from the kidneys and other nerve cells of the skin, gathering as they unite into nodes of the nerve chain. Almost every segment of the leech on the ventral side has such a node. The nodes are interconnected, ensuring the reception and transmission of impulses in the nervous system.
Taken together, this entire formation is called the abdominal nerve chain, which performs the same functions in a leech as the central one. nervous system(head and spinal cord) in humans. The largest nodes of the chain are the suprapharyngeal and subpharyngeal nodes located at the head end of the body. The suprapharyngeal node is the largest. It is connected to the subpharyngeal by special bridges, so that a ring is formed around the leech’s pharynx, which zoologists call the peripharyngeal nerve ganglion.
It is similar in importance to the human brain, although, of course, it is not equivalent to it and differs in structure. The “brain” of a leech is relatively simple. Its two components (suprapharyngeal and subpharyngeal nodes) complement each other, since the action of one compensates and partially neutralizes the action of the other.
Despite the seeming primitiveness of the sensory perception of leeches, they are excellent at orienting themselves in space. Their sense of smell, taste and touch, in the absence of corresponding sensory organs, are unusually developed, which contributes to their success in searching for prey. First of all, leeches respond well to odors emanating from objects immersed in water. Irritating odors force the leech to hastily move to another place. Leeches cannot tolerate foul-smelling water.
Of the many different odors - pleasant and unpleasant - animals recognize with high accuracy those that come from people and large mammals, i.e. potential owners. This is proven by simple but cleverly designed experiments that can be easily repeated at home. For example, 2 clean plugs are lowered into water. In this case, one of them must be lowered with a gloved hand, the other with a “bare” hand. As a result, most leeches invariably stick to the plug that has been in contact with the human skin rather than the glove. Leeches will become much more active if the smell of a person on the plug is increased (for example, by holding it under your armpit for a while).
Of course, the smell of blood is most attractive to leeches. Their reaction to this stimulus is immediate. It is worth adding a few drops of the blood of a mammal to a vessel with leeches, and the leeches, if they are hungry and healthy, quickly take a hunting “stance.” They rise at the rear ends of the body, stretching out, and begin to sway vigorously. The front end of the body produces movements that demonstrate the leeches' attempts to attach themselves to a potential victim.
Among other things, it is necessary to mention that leeches have the so-called. thermal feeling. Thermoreceptors are present in a great variety of living creatures, but only in some highly organized bloodsuckers are they specialized. Temperature-sensitive receptors in human skin are adapted to distinguish the degree of heating of the surfaces of different objects over a wide temperature range. Our skin, therefore, can only signal the danger of thermal damage to the skin - due to burns or frostbite.
Leeches, like South American vampires (bats), detect slight differences in the heating of surfaces. This makes some biological sense, since some worms have evolved to develop thermotropism (a tendency to move to areas with temperatures slightly higher than normal).
When attached to the skin, the leech does not immediately begin to bite. She persistently searches around for the warmest patch of skin. The same instinct that drives the blood-sucking bats of the New World tells the medicinal leech that the warmest areas of the skin are richest in blood. The capillaries here are overcrowded, intense microcirculation in the tissues contributes to their greater warming and increases the power of the flow of infrared (thermal) radiation.
If for a vampire an error in determining the temperature of parts of the victim’s body is completely indifferent, then for a leech it is undesirable to make mistakes. After all, in all warm-blooded creatures, when they get into cool water, the capillaries narrow, as a result of which blood microcirculation becomes slower. That is why the amount of blood taken by a leech strictly depends on the point of the skin where it sticks. To take away more blood, the leech must find an area with increased microcirculation, where the capillaries are slightly narrowed.
The reactions of leeches to odors, water fluctuations and the temperature of human skin have been thoroughly studied by zoologists over the past two centuries, and even earlier people managed to superficially explore the sense of smell, touch and other senses of a leech, based on personal observations. The conclusions obtained in this case form the basis of leech-catching, leech-breeding and bdellotechnique, and especially the technique of setting medical leeches sick.
At the same time, for the practical needs of leech breeding, studies of the leech’s reproductive system and the characteristics of its reproduction are no less important. As mentioned in the previous section, leeches are hermaphrodites, that is, they have a dual reproductive system, including both male and female genitalia.
Only leeches of 3 years of age reach sexual maturity, since they have already gained the necessary mass for the body to produce reproductive products - eggs and sperm. Leech, reproducing once a year, summer time, during its life brings from 3 to 4 offspring.
As laboratory studies have shown, average duration The life of a leech is 6 years. Scientists do not know for certain how long wild individuals live, although it is possible that leeches have their own long-livers.
The body is flattened in the dorsoventral direction and bears two suckers. The anterior or oral sucker is formed as a result of the fusion of four segments; the oral opening is located at its bottom. The posterior sucker is formed by the fusion of seven segments. Total number body segments - 30-33, including segments forming suckers. There are no parapodia. True leeches do not have setae, but bristle-bearing ones do. Leeches that live in water swim, bending their bodies in waves; land leeches “walk” along the ground or leaves, alternately sucking onto the substrate with either the front or rear suction cup.
rice. 1. Scheme of the structure of the front
end of the body of a medicinal leech:
1 - ganglion, 2 - longitudinal muscles,
3 - pharynx, 4 - pharynx muscles,
5 - jaws, 6 - wall
anterior sucker.
The skin-muscle sac consists of a dense cuticle, single-layer epithelium, circular and longitudinal muscles. The epithelium contains pigment and glandular cells. The cuticle is divided into small rings, the outer segmentation does not correspond to the larger internal segmentation.
The whole structure is preserved in bristle-bearing leeches, but is reduced to one degree or another in true leeches. In most species of true leeches, the secondary cavity is filled with parenchyma, leaving longitudinal lacunar canals from the coelom.
rice. 2. Structure diagram
medical leech:
1 - cephalic ganglia,
2 - oral sucker,
3 - stomach pockets,
4 - midgut,
5 - hindgut,
6 - anus,
7 - rear sucker,
8 - abdominal nervous
chain, 9 - metanephridia,
10 - testes, 11 - egg
bag, 12 - vagina,
13 - copulatory organ.
A true closed circulatory system, similar to that of oligochaetes or polychaetes, is found only in some species of leeches (chaistose leeches). In jawed leeches, the circulatory system is reduced, and its role is played by lacunae of coelomic origin: dorsal, abdominal and two lateral.
Gas exchange occurs through the integument of the body; some sea leeches have gills.
Excretory organs - metanephridia.
The nervous system is represented by the ventral nerve cord, which is characterized by partial fusion of the ganglia. The subpharyngeal ganglion consists of four pairs of fused ganglia, the last nerve ganglion consists of seven pairs. The sense organs of leeches are goblet organs and eyes. Goblet organs - chemoreception organs - are located in transverse rows on each segment; with their help, leeches learn about the approach of the victim and identify each other. The eyes are transformed goblet-shaped organs of the anterior segments and have only photosensitive significance. Number of eyes different types- from one to five pairs.
Leeches are hermaphrodites. Fertilization is usually internal. Eggs are laid in cocoons. Postembryonic development is direct.
The Leech class is divided into subclasses: 1) Ancient, or bristle-bearing leeches (Archihirudinea), 2) True leeches (Euhiridinea). The subclass True leeches is divided into two orders: 1) Proboscis (Rhynchobdellea), 2) Proboscis (Arhynchobdellea).
rice. 3. Appearance
medical leech
Order Proboscis (Arhynchobdellea)
Medical leech (Hirudo medicinalis)(Fig. 3) is diluted in laboratory conditions with medical purposes. The body length is on average 120 mm, width 10 mm, maximum values can be much larger. Each of the three jaws has 70-100 sharp “teeth”. After a leech bite, a mark in the form of an equilateral triangle remains on the skin.
In laboratory conditions, they reach sexual maturity after 12-18 months and reproduce at any time of the year. The reproductive systems include nine pairs of testes and one pair of ovaries, enclosed in egg sacs. The vas deferens merge into the ejaculatory canal, which ends in the copulatory organ. Oviducts extend from the ovaries, which empty into the convoluted uterus, which opens into the vagina. Fertilization is internal. The cocoons are oval in shape and reddish-gray in color, average length 20 mm, width 16 mm. There are from 15 to 20 eggs in one cocoon. The diameter of the egg is about 100 microns. After 30-45 days, small, 7-8 mm long, leeches emerge from the cocoons. In laboratory conditions, they are fed on mammalian blood clots.
Adult leeches are used for hypertension, strokes, and to resolve subcutaneous hemorrhages. Hirudin, contained in the saliva of leeches, prevents the development of blood clots that clog blood vessels.
In nature, medicinal leeches live in small fresh water bodies and feed on mammals and amphibians.
rice. 4. Big
false horse leech
Greater false horse leech (Haemopis sanguisuga)(Fig. 4) lives in fresh water bodies. It leads a predatory lifestyle, feeding on invertebrates and small vertebrates, swallowing them in parts or whole. The mouth and throat may become very distended. The number of blunt “teeth” on each jaw is 7-18. Stomach - with one pair of pockets.
The false horse leech is often confused with the medical leech, although they are quite easily distinguished by the color of the dorsal side of the body. The dorsal surface of the body of the false horse leech is black, monochromatic, sometimes with randomly scattered dark spots. On the dorsal side of the body of a medicinal leech there is a characteristic pattern in the form of longitudinal stripes. False horse leeches cannot be kept together with medical ones, as they eat them.
The long-awaited report from the leech farm. You will learn how leeches live in captivity,
what they eat, how they reproduce. For the first time we were able to capture unique footage
birth of leeches in natural conditions and in captivity.
Five pairs of eyes intensely watched the water column, all senses aimed at finding the victim. For more than three weeks now, in search of food, they have had to move from one corner of the reservoir to another. Even repeated forays onto land did not bring desired result. Sad thoughts overwhelmed the vampire. Blood and only blood... “Okay, you can hold out for another three months, but if luck doesn’t smile, you’ll have to emigrate to a nearby body of water; they say that cattle come there to drink...” There was a splash somewhere, another, a third - the steel muscles tensed. The vampire identified the source of the vibrations and, with smooth wave-like movements, directed his body towards the victim. Here she is! Light, warm body, and how little wool, just not to miss. The vampire straightened his huge mouth, exposed three terrible jaws with sharp teeth and bit into the victim... A heartbreaking cry filled the water surface of the reservoir.
01.
02. Today we will tell you about International Center medical leech, created on the basis of the Medpiyavka association formed in 1937, which was engaged in keeping leeches in artificial ponds dacha village Udelnaya (Moscow region). 
03. At 2500 sq. m. there are production facilities for growing more than 3,500,000 medicinal leeches and producing cosmetic products. 
04. In total, science knows 400 species of leeches, which look approximately the same and differ mainly in color. Leeches are black, greenish or brownish. Russian name These nimble worms indicate their ability to “bite” into the victim’s body and suck out blood. 
05. Leeches live in three-liter jars. They couldn’t come up with anything better as a house for them. The leechkeeper must ensure that the vessel with leeches is constantly covered with a thick white cloth, which is tied tightly. 
06. Leeches are unusually mobile and often tend to crawl out of the water. Therefore, they are able to easily leave the container in which they are stored. Escapes occur periodically. 
07. A leech has 10 eyes, but the leech does not perceive a complete image. Despite the seeming primitiveness of the sensory perception of leeches, they are excellent at orienting themselves in space. Their sense of smell, taste and touch are unusually developed, which contributes to their success in finding prey. First of all, leeches respond well to odors emanating from objects immersed in water. Leeches cannot tolerate foul-smelling water. 
08. Slow, devoid of sharpness movements allow you to see the entire body of the leech. On the back, against a dark background, bright orange inclusions form a bizarre pattern in the form of two stripes. On the sides there is black edging. The abdomen is delicate, light olive in color with a black edging. The body of an ordinary medicinal leech consists of 102 rings. On the dorsal side the rings are covered with many small papillae. On the ventral side there are much fewer papillae and they are less noticeable. 
09. But behind the harmless external beauty of the leech lies its secret weapon - the front sucker, outwardly invisible. The large, intimidating rear sucker does not cause any physical damage, but in the depths of the front jaws are hidden, geometrically located according to the sign of a prestigious company automotive world- Mercedes. There are up to 90 teeth in each jaw, for a total of 270. This is deceit. 
10. The record for the maximum size of a leech grown in this center is 35 centimeters in length. The leech in the photo still has everything ahead. 
11. A leech bit me like a nettle stung. The bite of the same horsefly or ant is much more painful. Leech saliva contains painkillers (analgesics). The leech feeds exclusively on blood. Hematophage, that is, a vampire. 
12. The epidermal layer of the leech is covered with a special film - cuticle. The cuticle is transparent, it performs protective function and grows continuously, periodically being renewed during the molting process. Normally, leeches moult every 2-3 days. 
13. Discarded films resemble white flakes or small white covers. They clog the bottom of the vessels for storing used leeches, and therefore must be removed regularly, and the water is also periodically colored from digestion products. The water is changed twice a week. 
14. The water is specially prepared: it sits for at least a day, and is purified from harmful impurities and heavy metals. After cleaning and passing control, the water is heated to the required temperature and enters the shared network for leeches. 
15.
16. Leeches poop up to several times a day, so the water in the vessel where used leeches are stored periodically becomes colored. Clogging of water that occurs from time to time does not cause any harm to leeches if the water is regularly changed. 
17. The most important condition for the rapid cultivation of full-fledged medicinal leeches is their regular feeding with fresh blood, which is purchased from slaughterhouses. 
18. Large clots formed during coagulation of blood mass are used. To fully feed leeches, only the blood of healthy animals, mainly large and small, is taken. cattle. The clots are placed at the bottom of special vessels, into which the leeches are then released. 
19. To make it pleasant for leeches to eat, a film is laid on them, which they, out of habit, bite through and suck blood. 
20. During growth, the leech feeds every one and a half to two months. 
21. After the leeches have grown and fasted for at least three months, they are collected in series and sent for certification, and then they go on sale or are used in the production of cosmetics. The Center has an accredited laboratory of the quality control department. But more about this tomorrow. 
22. During one feeding, a leech sucks out five times its own weight, after which it may not eat for three to four months, or a maximum of a year. After eating, the leech looks like a solid muscle sac filled with blood. In its digestive tract there are special substances that protect blood from putrefaction, which preserve it in such a way that the blood always remains full and is stored for a long time. 
23. A leech usually eats its fill in 15-20 minutes. A sign that the leech is full is the appearance of foam. 
24. Well-fed leeches are trying to escape from the “dining room”. 
25. Yum-yum! 
26. After feeding, the leeches are washed. 
27. And put it back in the jar. 
28.
29. And the dishes are washed. 
30.
31. Leeches communicate with each other extremely rarely, only during the mating period. And then, most likely, out of necessity, so as not to die out. Suitable for reproduction, that is, thoroughly fed and reached given dimensions leeches are called queens. 
32. They are placed in pairs in jars filled with water and stored in special rooms where optimal temperature environment that supports the activity of leeches and their reproductive abilities. Copulation and laying of cocoons with eggs occur in leeches at an environmental temperature of 25 to 27 °C. And although each individual carries within itself both the male and female principles (hermaphrodites), it cannot satisfy itself in this intimate matter and is looking for a partner. 
33. Mating season, during which mating occurs, takes about 1 month, after which the leeches are seated in queen cells - three-liter jars. Place wet water at the bottom of the queen cell peat soil, representing a favorable environment for medicinal leeches and their cocoons. On top of the peat are soft moss turfs that regulate soil moisture. The queens move freely on the moss, in which they feel comfortable, and gradually burrow into the peat. 
34. Leeches practice different positions in which copulation occurs. There are 2 main positions that have a biological meaning. First position: the anterior ends of the bodies of copulating leeches are directed in one direction. The second main position: the ends of the bodies are oppositely directed, that is, they look in different directions. 
35. The peat is thoroughly washed so that the leeches are moist and comfortable. 
36. 
37. You can identify a pregnant leech by the light rings and place it in a jar of peat. 
38. Breaking a shallow hole in the soil, the leech lays a cocoon in it, from which filaments are subsequently hatched - this is what the leech breeders of small young leeches are called. Their mass reaches 0.03 g at most, and their body length is 7-8 mm. The filaments are fed in the same way as adults. 
39. Each mother leech lays an average of 3-5 cocoons, each of which contains 10-15 fry. 
40. After a while, the cocoons become like soft foam balls. 
41. In the light you can see that the fry are sitting inside the cocoon. 
42. And here are unique shots of the birth. The leech leaves the cocoon through a hole in the end. 
43. 
44. The first minutes of life of a small leech. 
45. And this is how they are born in the conditions of the center. The cocoons are simply torn apart. 
46. In the center, a leech lives for a year and a half, then it is given away to treat people or processed into cosmetics. 
The leech has many amazing qualities. It's hard to imagine, but this little worm has a sense of smell, taste and touch, and also detects heat and light.
The leech is by nature a hermaphrodite, that is, it has characteristics of both sexes. When leeches meet, they fertilize each other.
The leech lives only in fresh water. She can be found in large quantities in reservoirs of Central and Southern Europe and Asia Minor. Under natural conditions, leeches feed on the blood of animals that come to drink.
Not every leech can heal a person. Of the more than 400 species of leeches found in nature, only one species is used in medical practice. This is a medical leech. This species has two subspecies - pharmaceutical (Hirudina officinalis) and medicinal (Hirudina medicinalis) leeches. Both subspecies are used for medicinal purposes. In order to understand this issue and distinguish a useful leech from the rest, it is not at all necessary to know the characteristics of these animals, much less go to reservoirs with a net. Medicinal leeches must be purchased only in pharmacies, and they must also be licensed, like any medicine.
Leeches that are used in medicinal purposes, have not been caught in swamps and ponds for a long time. They are grown in special biofactories under artificial conditions under the careful supervision of biologists. This is necessary so that the leeches are sterile and cannot become a source of infection for the people who use them.
Medical leech
A medical leech is a special, purebred leech, sharply different from a pond leech. It is grown precisely to serve a person just once. The leech is used as a disposable syringe, which is absolutely sterile. After the procedure, the leech is killed. It is believed that she could now be potentially dangerous, since she was dealing with a sick person, and therefore with sick blood. Sterilizing a leech is a very troublesome task.
However, there is one circumstance in defense of the leech. Her saliva contains a powerful bactericidal substance that kills germs in the blood. Therefore, the leech disinfects its food and cannot itself be a source of infection. But you cannot be sure that this substance will cope with any bacteria that can enter the leech’s body, for example, with the blood of infected animals (if this pond leech). This is why it is easier to grow a new sterile leech than to take the risk of using an old one. For such economic benefit and our health, this blood-sucking creature pays with its life.
The most valuable thing about a medicinal leech is its secretion, which is released with saliva. Leech saliva contains more than a hundred biologically active substances, containing the entire periodic table. Therefore, the effect of a leech on a person can replace any medicine prepared chemically and therefore having a mass side effects. During treatment with leeches, all biologically active substances enter the blood and have a beneficial effect on our organs, systems and well-being. At the same time, leech secretion is completely harmless, because it is used in minimal doses and strictly when necessary.
The nature of the action of this healer - leech - is unique. Medicinal beer is a very sensitive organism. It recognizes a diseased organ in a special way and accurately finds biologically active points corresponding to this organ. Therefore, leeches are not only a therapeutic, but also a diagnostic tool. Many doctors allow leeches to determine the location of the bites themselves, using them to compare their diagnosis with the “leech diagnosis.” That is why hirudotherapy is successfully used in any field of medicine for a wide range of diseases.
Another interesting characteristic feature of the leech is its cleanliness. The human body must be very clean and free of foreign odors, only then will the leech attach itself to it.
Interestingly, the leech is very scrupulous about bad habits person. She will never treat a drunk patient and ignores a heavy smoker who smells of tobacco. And if the patient has not washed for a long time, the leech will immediately crawl away, no matter how hungry it is. These natural healers are very picky!
Leech structure
Leech is ringworm, the length of which reaches an average of 12 to 15 cm. It has a greenish color on the back with orange stripes and black dots. The medicinal leech lives in fresh water bodies of Central and Southern Europe and Asia Minor. It feeds on the blood of large mammals that enter the water during watering.
The leech is a digestive tube covered sensitive skin. The leech breathes through the skin, and the skin protects it from external irritants. The skin performs another function - it is the sense organ of the leech. The leech has a very developed muscular system, which consists of circular muscles that cover the entire body of the leech and form its suckers, longitudinal muscles that stretch along the body, and dorso-abdominal muscles located from the back to the abdomen. This structure of the muscular system allows the leech to be very mobile and make a wide variety of quick movements.
The medicinal leech has five pairs of eyes on its head, and in its mouth there are three jaws with chitinous teeth, of which there are about 260 pieces. With their help, the leech cuts the skin to a depth of 1.5-2 mm and sucks blood in a volume of 5-15 ml, the same amount flows out from the bite site over the next 3-24 hours. This is explained by the fact that the secretion of leech saliva envelops the walls of the affected vessels, as a result of which the blood loses its ability to clot. But such bleeding is absolutely harmless to human health and is easily tolerated by the patient. There are usually 5-7 individuals per session. Even one session of hirudotherapy is very healing, since a whole complex of biologically active substances and enzymes enters the human blood, which cause anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-edematous effects, reduce the likelihood of blood clots, improve blood microcirculation, and also activate the human immune system.
The leech's oral cavity extends into the pharynx, which has thick muscular walls that act as a pump to pump out blood.
The leech's stomach is an intestine with 10 pairs of lateral processes. The length of the stomach occupies 2/3 of the length of the leech's body and can hold from 5 to 15 ml of blood. And what is especially important: leeches contain in the intestines special bacteria, which disinfect harmful substances, so leech saliva is always sterile. Therefore, medicinal leech is actively used for thrombophlebitis, hypertension, pre-stroke conditions and other diseases. Due to the fact that the leech stimulates blood circulation in tissues, affects the walls of blood vessels and increases the oxygen saturation of the blood, it has a beneficial effect on the entire body as a whole.
How to distinguish a real medical leech from a fake one?
They are not medical: leeches are single-colored, without stripes on the back. Also, take a close look at the form and other external signs leeches. It should not be covered with hairs, have a cylindrical body shape and a blunt head. A real medicinal leech is smooth, almost flat, with a sharp head.
Therapeutic effects of leeches
The mechanism of the therapeutic effect of leeches is very multifaceted, so the effect itself occurs in a complex. Bloodletting gives a kind of boost to the body's immune system. Thanks to this, there is an influx of “fresh” blood and renewal of the entire body, in which healing processes are launched. In addition, a small loss of blood reduces arterial pressure. And the special substance hirudin, which prevents blood clotting, stimulates blood supply to all organs. But this is not all the functions of leech saliva. Let us consider each type of therapeutic effect of leech in detail.
So, the therapeutic effect of hirudotherapy consists of several factors: reflex, mechanical and biological.
Reflex action
This action consists in the fact that the leech bites the skin only at biologically active points, which are also called acupuncture points. These points are used in acupuncture. They are inextricably linked with all organs and systems. By influencing certain points, the doctor starts the process of self-healing of the organ, enhancing its energy. The mechanism of the reflex action of leeches is exactly the same as in acupuncture. In addition, leeches themselves feel the points that need to be influenced, that is, they choose the bite sites. Thanks to this, even a person who does not know acupuncture can apply leeches. But it is better, of course, if this medical procedure is performed by a doctor.
Mechanical action
It consists in the fact that after a leech bite, lymph with an admixture of capillary blood continues to ooze under the influence of hirudin and destabilase injected with saliva. Due to the long flow of lymph (from 5 to 24 hours), mechanical irritation of the lymph nodes occurs and their production of natural protective cells - lymphocytes - is stimulated. This leads to increased local and general immunity. In addition, local blood flow is unloaded, which promotes blood renewal and greater blood flow to the diseased organ.
Biological effect
This is the most valuable and most important effect, which is provided by the leech saliva itself, containing a huge amount useful substances. The most valuable of them: hirudin, destabilase complex, bdellins, aeglins, hyaluronidase, antibacterial and analgesic substances.
Hirudin– the most studied leech hormone. It slows down blood clotting and flushes blood clots out of blood vessels, preventing thrombus formation. Hirudin is the most the best remedy in the treatment and prevention of intravascular coagulation syndrome.
Hyaluronidase– an enzyme that is found in the venoms of snakes, spiders, extracts of human testes and in some bacteria. This substance is necessary for the fertilization process, so hirudotherapy successfully copes with problems such as infertility.
Bdellins– trypsin and plasmin inhibitors.
Eglins- substances needed by the body suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, gout, and emphysema. Eglins act in such a way that they prevent further damage to the joints and lungs, curing existing pathology. Eglins penetrate into the blood and, combining with other components, prevent the process of tissue degradation. This property allows the use of leeches in treatment skin diseases and injuries, surgical treatment.
In addition to saliva secretion, the symbiont bacterium Aeromonas hydrophilia contained in the intestinal canal of the medicinal leech, which provides a bacteriostatic effect, has a healing effect.
So, we list all the types of therapeutic effects of leech on the human body:
Anticoagulant;
Thrombolytic;
Anti-ischemic;
Antihypoxic;
Hypotensive (more precisely, normotensive);
Decongestant;
Drainage;
Restoration of microcirculation;
Lipolytic;
Restoration of neuromuscular impulse transmission;
General reflex;
Restoring the permeability of the vascular wall;
Bacteriostatic;
Immunostimulating;
Analgesic.
A leech bite is often much more effective than a medicinal injection. The fact is that when injecting the drug, the medicinal substances are distributed evenly throughout the body, and the leech acts only on the diseased organ. The affected area contains 70–80% of all biologically active substances introduced by a leech into the patient’s blood.
A hirudotherapy session lasts from 40 minutes to one hour. You should not remove the leeches; they themselves determine the end of the session. Depending on the complexity of the disease, treatment requires 5 to 10 sessions 1–3 times a week.
Hirudotherapy can be used as an independent method of treatment, or can be combined with other methods of naturopathy, most often with herbal medicine, as well as with homeopathy and physiotherapy. This combination is determined by the doctor depending on the nature of the disease, the patient’s condition and characteristic features his body.
How does a leech work?
With the help of sharp jaws, the leech bites the skin to a depth of 1.5–2 mm and sucks blood in a volume of 5–15 ml. The same amount of blood flows from the bite site subsequently (over the next 3-24 hours). This is explained by the fact that leech saliva contains hirudin, which prevents blood clotting. There is no need to stop the bleeding. During one treatment session, 5 to 7 leeches are usually applied.
The medical leech itself chooses the site of the bite - the warmest area, the richest in blood. Here it discovers biologically active points through which it affects blood vessels and internal organs and human systems.
Gradually, as the leech becomes saturated, it noticeably increases in size. The volume of blood she drinks is 3-5 times her own weight, that is, it can be up to 15 ml. Feeding on blood, the leech injects its healing saliva - a unique balanced complex of biologically active substances - into the site of the bite, that is, into the bloodstream of the vessel. Almost immediately after a leech bite, its therapeutic effect begins. The valuable substances of saliva, under the influence of its special enzymes, quickly penetrate into the tissues. And already 20 minutes after removing the leech, the components of its secretion are carried through the bloodstream throughout the body.
A leech bite resembles a mosquito bite or nettle sting. Then a purely mechanical unloading of the blood flow occurs, that is, the person practically does not feel how the leech sucks blood. The blood itself flows into her mouth and stomach. Having had enough, the leech disappears on its own, and blood (mainly lymph) continues to flow out in a very thin stream. Over a period of 3 to 24 hours, it can leak out as much as the leech drank, that is, about 12–15 ml. In total, a person loses no more than 30 ml of capillary blood along with lymph from one leech. This process is also healing, so it cannot be stopped. Such a small loss of blood triggers the mechanism of stimulating the immune system and eliminating swelling.
The likelihood of people becoming infected through leeches during hirudotherapy sessions is virtually eliminated. Leeches are bred in special biofactories using the cupping method and kept in sterile conditions. Leeches feed on verified animal blood. Leeches ready for sale are checked and certified. After treatment, leeches are destroyed and not used again.
Independent use of leeches
You can choose different ways treatment of the disease: take pills, be treated with herbs, use physiotherapy or turn to hirudotherapy. Each method has its pros and cons. But leech treatment stands out from general list methods of treatment in that there are much more advantages than disadvantages. And the disadvantages themselves consist only in the presence of a small number of contraindications, which are quite rare. Therefore, today there are more and more adherents of hirudotherapy. A serious problem is the choice of a qualified hirudotherapist - such specialists can only be found in major cities, in large clinics or specialized hospitals. Leeches are much easier to acquire.
The doctor using this method must know the human anatomy perfectly, find individual approach to each patient, taking into account his diseases, physical and mental state. It is the doctor who determines how many sessions the patient will need and how many leeches to place during each session.
However, the procedure for installing a leech is quite simple, so you can use leeches yourself, but subject to certain conditions.
Firstly, before self-treatment with leeches, you should still consult a specialist. Remember the contraindications to hirudotherapy: although there are few of them, they are very serious. In addition, it is necessary to agree on the number of leeches and procedures. And remember that moderation is good in everything. Your state of health will tell you when to stop the procedures, of which there should be no more than ten.
Secondly, only an experienced specialist should install leeches on the mucous membranes and genitals - doing this yourself is extremely dangerous!
Thirdly, you can apply leeches to diseased organs only if you know exactly your diagnosis and the location of the diseased organ. You can take a different route: put the leech on its back and give it the right to choose the desired point. Rest assured, the leech will not make a mistake.
Since the leech is Living being, then it has its own characteristics. A leech may refuse to treat you, that is, to suck on you, if the weather changes that day, magnetic storms or other jumps in bioritomes, to which leeches are very sensitive. In addition, leeches do not like to eat at night, so hirudotherapy sessions are carried out only in the morning and during the day, or at least not late in the evening.
How to apply a leech at home
So, you purchased leeches at the pharmacy. They should be stored in a jar of tap water, the neck of which is covered with gauze, in a bright place at a temperature of 10–15 °C. The water should be changed daily. Only healthy and hungry leeches that move quickly in the water are suitable for treatment. Limp, with nodules, and with an adhesive surface, leeches are not suitable for consumption.
Leeches can “work” only once. After using the leech, throw it away. Usually five leeches are placed; in advanced stages of the disease, seven leeches can be placed. To enhance the effect, leeches are placed on acupuncture points used in reflexology. But if you have never encountered acupuncture, then you can place the leeches arbitrarily - they themselves will choose the places of the most powerful effect on the body.
Leeches are placed on the heart (to cleanse blood vessels), liver (to cleanse the liver), on limbs (for thrombophlebitis and varicose veins), behind the ears (for atherosclerosis and heart failure), on the back of the head (for hypertension and for general cleansing of blood vessels), on back (for general cleansing of blood vessels). You should not place leeches in places where there are distracting veins (eyelids, temples, scrotum).
Do not be alarmed by the sensations that may occur while sucking on a leech - this is normal. You may feel a slight burning sensation, like an ant bite, and even severe itching, especially if the leech is placed in the place where thin skin. These unpleasant sensations go away after a couple of minutes. After the skin is punctured, a characteristic mark of small leech teeth remains on it.
In the first ten minutes, the leech releases its saliva into the wound, containing about one hundred and fifty healing substances. At this time, the blood becomes homogeneous, that is, homogeneous, due to the dissolution of small cholesterol plaques and blood clots. Next, the leech begins to suck blood, continuing to secrete saliva, but in smaller quantities.
One leech sucks up to 5-10 ml of blood. When the leech fills its stomach, it will fall off on its own. But if the exposure is incomplete, it is carefully removed.
Rules for placing leeches
Before placing leeches, you need to stock up on the following supplies:
Healthy, mobile leeches;
Jar with clean water;
Beaker or test tube;
Sterile tray with sterile dressing material;
A bottle of hydrogen peroxide;
Glucose ampoule or sweetened water;
A jar of salt water to place the leech after removal.
This procedure is best done with an assistant. If you place leeches on another person, do it in this order.
1. Lay the person comfortably on a bed or sofa.
2. Expose the area of the body where leeches should be placed. If there is hair, it needs to be shaved.
3. Rinse the skin well with warm water and wipe dry.
4. Moisten the skin with sweet water or glucose for better suction of the leech.
5. Grab the leech by the tail end with tweezers and place it in the test tube.
6. Attach the test tube to to the right place on the skin.
7. Wait until the leech attaches itself. Once sucked, it will fall off the skin on its own.
8. Remove the leech and place it in a jar of salted water, then flush it down the drain.
9. Place a sterile napkin on the places where leeches are sucked. After the procedure, microbleeding is possible for 6-24 hours, so a bulky bandage is required, which should be removed only the next day.
10. If there is severe bleeding, a pressure bandage must be applied to the wounds.
11. If you need to remove the leech earlier, moisten the skin under it with salted water.
12. Leech can only be used once!
It is necessary to monitor the person’s well-being during the application of leeches and for some time after the end of the procedure. It is strictly forbidden to tear off a leech by force, as it can cause significant bleeding.
You can reapply leeches only after 5–6 days.
Warning!
At the sites where leeches are placed, skin itching around the wound may appear after the procedure. It is necessary to lubricate the skin around the wound with a mixture of ammonia and petroleum jelly in equal quantities. The itching will go away.
Purchase and storage of leeches
Leeches should only be purchased in special stores and pharmacies. They sell certified medicinal leeches grown in biofactories. These leeches are under control from the moment they are born, so they are a guarantee of effective and safe treatment. Wild leeches should never be used, because it is impossible to know what the leech ate and what kind of infections it is a source of. Despite the fact that the leech has a unique set of disinfectants, it is impossible to test it for the entire range of infections found in the world. Therefore, you should not take risks, especially since buying a leech is not a problem today.
Leeches are sold in glass jars with clean water in which they live. Such water must be maintained constantly. The water should be well settled and at room temperature, and the jar itself should be in a room with an air temperature of +8 to +20 °C. Sudden changes in air or water temperature are detrimental to leeches. Leeches do not like strong odors; upon contact with odorous substances, they get sick and die. They can go without food for six months, so all this time you only need to change the water and feed the leeches with sugar syrup, which they love very much.
When purchasing leeches, monitor their condition. A healthy leech is active: it swims, resists when someone touches it or tries to put it in a bubble. It is extremely interesting to monitor leeches, because they are living barometers. In clear weather, leeches crawl onto the walls of the jar in which they live, and in bad weather they stay under water.
The long-awaited report from the leech farm. You will learn how leeches live in captivity, what they eat, and how they reproduce. For the first time, we were able to capture unique footage of the birth of a leech in natural conditions and in captivity.
Five pairs of eyes intensely watched the water column, all senses aimed at finding the victim. For more than three weeks now, in search of food, they have had to move from one corner of the reservoir to another. Even repeated forays onto land did not bring the desired result. Sad thoughts overwhelmed the vampire. Blood and only blood... “Okay, you can hold out for another three months, but if luck doesn’t smile, you’ll have to emigrate to a nearby body of water; they say that cattle come there to drink...” There was a splash somewhere, another, a third - the steel muscles tensed. The vampire identified the source of the vibrations and, with smooth wave-like movements, directed his body towards the victim. Here she is! Light, warm body, and so little fur, just not to miss. The vampire straightened his huge mouth, exposed three terrible jaws with sharp teeth and bit into the victim... A heartbreaking cry filled the water surface of the reservoir.
01.
02. Today we will tell you about the International Center for Medical Leeches, created on the basis of the Medpiyavka association formed in 1937, which was engaged in keeping leeches in artificial ponds in the dacha village of Udelnaya (Moscow region). 
03. At 2500 sq. m. there are production facilities for growing more than 3,500,000 medicinal leeches and producing cosmetic products. 
04. In total, science knows 400 species of leeches, which look approximately the same and differ mainly in color. Leeches are black, greenish or brownish. The Russian name for these nimble worms indicates their ability to “bite” into the victim’s body and suck out blood. 
05. Leeches live in three-liter jars. They couldn’t come up with anything better as a house for them. The leechkeeper must ensure that the vessel with leeches is constantly covered with a thick white cloth, which is tied tightly. 
06. Leeches are unusually mobile and often tend to crawl out of the water. Therefore, they are able to easily leave the container in which they are stored. Escapes occur periodically. 
07. A leech has 10 eyes, but the leech does not perceive a complete image. Despite the seeming primitiveness of the sensory perception of leeches, they are excellent at orienting themselves in space. Their sense of smell, taste and touch are unusually developed, which contributes to their success in finding prey. First of all, leeches respond well to odors emanating from objects immersed in water. Leeches cannot tolerate foul-smelling water. 
08. Slow, devoid of sharpness movements allow you to see the entire body of the leech. On the back, against a dark background, bright orange inclusions form a bizarre pattern in the form of two stripes. On the sides there is black edging. The abdomen is delicate, light olive in color with a black edging. The body of an ordinary medicinal leech consists of 102 rings. On the dorsal side the rings are covered with many small papillae. On the ventral side there are much fewer papillae and they are less noticeable. 
09. But behind the harmless external beauty of the leech lies its secret weapon - the front sucker, outwardly invisible. The large, intimidating rear sucker does not cause any physical damage, but in the depths of the front jaws are hidden, geometrically located according to the sign of the prestigious company of the automotive world - Mercedes. There are up to 90 teeth in each jaw, for a total of 270. This is deceit. 
10. The record for the maximum size of a leech grown in this center is 35 centimeters in length. The leech in the photo still has everything ahead. 
11. A leech bit me like a nettle stung. The bite of the same horsefly or ant is much more painful. Leech saliva contains painkillers (analgesics). The leech feeds exclusively on blood. Hematophage, that is, a vampire. 
12. The epidermal layer of the leech is covered with a special film - cuticle. The cuticle is transparent, it performs a protective function and continuously grows, periodically being renewed during the molting process. Normally, leeches moult every 2-3 days. 
13. Discarded films resemble white flakes or small white covers. They clog the bottom of the vessels for storing used leeches, and therefore must be removed regularly, and the water is also periodically colored from digestion products. The water is changed twice a week. 
14. The water is specially prepared: it sits for at least a day, and is purified from harmful impurities and heavy metals. After cleaning and passing control, the water is heated to the required temperature and enters the common network for leeches. 
15.
16. Leeches poop up to several times a day, so the water in the vessel where used leeches are stored periodically becomes colored. Clogging of water that occurs from time to time does not cause any harm to leeches if the water is regularly changed. 
17. The most important condition for the rapid cultivation of full-fledged medicinal leeches is their regular feeding with fresh blood, which is purchased from slaughterhouses. 
18. Large clots formed during coagulation of blood mass are used. To fully feed leeches, only the blood of healthy animals, mainly large and small livestock, is taken. The clots are placed at the bottom of special vessels, into which the leeches are then released. 
19. To make it pleasant for leeches to eat, a film is laid on them, which they, out of habit, bite through and suck blood. 
20. During growth, the leech feeds every one and a half to two months. 
21. After the leeches have grown and fasted for at least three months, they are collected in series and sent for certification, and then they go on sale or are used in the production of cosmetics. The Center has an accredited laboratory of the quality control department. But more about this tomorrow. 
22. During one feeding, a leech sucks out five times its own weight, after which it may not eat for three to four months, or a maximum of a year. After eating, the leech looks like a solid muscle sac filled with blood. In its digestive tract there are special substances that protect blood from putrefaction, which preserve it in such a way that the blood always remains full and is stored for a long time. 
23. A leech usually eats its fill in 15-20 minutes. A sign that the leech is full is the appearance of foam. 
24. Well-fed leeches are trying to escape from the “dining room”. 
25. Yum-yum! 
26. After feeding, the leeches are washed. 
27. And put it back in the jar. 
28. 
29. And the dishes are washed. 
30. 
31. Leeches communicate with each other extremely rarely, only during the mating period. And then, most likely, out of necessity, so as not to die out. Suitable for reproduction, that is, carefully fed and reaching a given size, leeches are called queens. 
32. They are placed in pairs in jars filled with water and stored in special rooms where the optimal environmental temperature is maintained to maintain the activity of leeches and their reproductive abilities. Copulation and laying of cocoons with eggs occur in leeches at an environmental temperature of 25 to 27 °C. And although each individual carries within itself both the male and female principles (hermaphrodites), it cannot satisfy itself in this intimate matter and is looking for a partner. 
33. The mating season, during which mating occurs, takes about 1 month, after which the leeches are placed in queen cells - three-liter jars. Moist peat soil is placed at the bottom of the queen cell, providing a favorable environment for medicinal leeches and their cocoons. On top of the peat are soft moss turfs that regulate soil moisture. The queens move freely on the moss, in which they feel comfortable, and gradually burrow into the peat. 
34. Leeches practice different positions in which copulation occurs. There are 2 main positions that have a biological meaning. First position: the anterior ends of the bodies of copulating leeches are directed in one direction. The second main position: the ends of the bodies are oppositely directed, that is, they look in different directions.
35. The peat is thoroughly washed so that the leeches are moist and comfortable. 
36. 
37. You can identify a pregnant leech by the light rings and place it in a jar of peat. 
38. Breaking a shallow hole in the soil, the leech lays a cocoon in it, from which filaments are subsequently hatched - this is what the leech breeders of small young leeches are called. Their mass reaches 0.03 g at most, and their body length is 7-8 mm. The filaments are fed in the same way as adults. 
39. Each mother leech lays an average of 3-5 cocoons, each of which contains 10-15 fry. 
40. After a while, the cocoons become like soft foam balls. 
41. In the light you can see that the fry are sitting inside the cocoon. 
42. And here are unique shots of the birth. The leech leaves the cocoon through a hole in the end. 
43. 
44. The first minutes of life of a small leech.
45. And this is how they are born in the conditions of the center. The cocoons are simply torn apart. 
47. As laboratory studies have shown, the average life expectancy of a leech is 6 years. Scientists do not know for certain how long wild individuals live, although it is possible that leeches have their own long-livers.
Tomorrow at this time there will be a story about how leeches are killed to help people. What happens to a leech after it has sucked blood from a person? How are these cute worms tortured? How to make leech powder and much more!
Text:
Book by D.G. Zharov "Secrets of Hirudotherapy"
Book "Vampire's Kiss". Authors: Nikonov G.I. and Titova E.A.