Mehlis gland
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{short description|Gland of reproductive system in Platyhelminthes}}
File:Dendritobilharzia pulverulenta (01).tif. The Mehlis' gland is labelled m. (scale bars: A, D, E = 1 mm; B = 500 μm; C, F = 100 μm).]]
Mehlis gland ('mā-lis-) also called Shell gland, is primarily present surrounding the ootype of Platyhelminthes, and it is a part of the female reproductive organ of Platyhelminthes.{{cite web|url=http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Mehlis+gland|title=Mehlis gland|work=TheFreeDictionary.com|accessdate=21 February 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/Mehlis'%20gland|title=Mehlis' Gland Medical Definition – Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary|publisher=|accessdate=21 February 2017}}
Shape and size
Etymology
It was so named as it was first discovered by German physician Karl Friedrich Eduard Mehlis (1796–1832).
Function
As a part of female reproductive organ it has an important role in guiding the ova out towards the passage ending in the uterus of flat worms. Thus, its secretion lubricates the passage of uterus through which ova move. It may play a part in eggshell formation.