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The spermatheca (pronounced plural: spermathecae ), also called receptaculum seminis (plural: receptacula seminis), is an organ of the female reproductive tract in insects, bees, some molluscs, oligochaeta worms and certain other invertebrates and vertebrates.〔David M. Sever, Cynthia K. Tait, Lowell V. Diller, and Laura Burkholder. 2004. ''Ultrastructure of the Annual Cycle of Female Sperm Storage in Spermathecae of the Torrent Salamander'' Rhyacotriton variegatus ''(Amphibia: Rhyacotritonidae)''. JOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY 261:1–17〕 Its purpose is to receive and store sperm from the male or, in the case of hermaphrodites, the male component of the body, and can sometimes be the site of fertilization when the oocytes are sufficiently developed.〔Jan A. Pechenick. Biology of the Invertebrates. New York: McGraw Hill, 2005〕 Some species of animal have multiple spermathecae. For example, certain species of earthworms have four pair of spermathecae—one pair each in the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th segments. The spermathecae receive and store the spermatozoa of another earthworm during copulation.〔Jan A. Pechenik. Biology of the Invertebrates. New York: McGraw Hill, 2010, pg. 322〕 They are lined with epithelium and are variable in shape: some are thin, heavily coiled tubes, while others are vague outpocketings from the main reproductive tract. It is one of the many variations in sexual reproduction. An apiculturist may examine the spermatheca of a dead queen bee to find out whether it had received sperm from a male.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 title=Diagnosis of failing queens by inspecting the spermatheca )〕 In many species of stingless bees, especially Melipona bicolor, the queen lays her eggs during the provisioning and oviposition process and the spermatheca fertilizes the egg as it passes along the oviduct. The haplo-diploid system of sex determination makes it possible for the queen to choose the sex of the egg.〔Koedam, D., et al. "The Behaviour Of Laying Workers And The Morphology And Viability Of Their Eggs In Melipona Bicolor Bicolor." Physiological Entomology 26.3 (2001): 254-259. Academic Search Premier. Web. 26 Sept. 2015.〕 == See also == * Reproductive system of gastropods * Female sperm storage * Cyphopods, sperm receptacles in female millipedes 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Spermatheca」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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