Hirudin hirudin. Hirudin Hirudin is a naturally occurring peptide in the salivary glands of blood-sucking leeches (such as "Hirudo medicinalis") that has a blood anticoagulant property. This is fundamental for the leeches’ alimentary habit of hematophagy, since it keeps the blood flowing after the initial phlebotomy performed by the worm on the host’s skin. During his years in Birmingham and Edinburgh, John Berry Haycraft had been actively engaged in research and published papers on the coagulation of blood, and in 1884, he discovered that the leech secreted a powerful anticoagulant, which he named hirudin, although it was not isolated until the
Ectopic salivary gland tissue the salivary glands, including cancer, may also occur within an accessory salivary gland tissue. "Salivary gland heterotopia" is where salivary gland acini cells are present in an abnormal location without any duct system. The most common location is the cervical lymph nodes. Other reported sites of heterotopic salivary gland tissue are the middle ear, parathyroid glands, thyroid gland, pituitary gland, cerebellar pontine angle, soft tissue medial to sternocleidomastoid, stomach, rectum and vulva. Salivary gland neoplasm occurrence within heterotopic salivary gland tissue is rare. Ectopic salivary gland tissue Ectopic salivary gland tissue which is located in sites other than the normal