See Also: Limulus polyphemus(medicine)
Polyphemus(encyclopedia)
Polyphemus(dictionary)
Polyphemus(medicine)
Herbal medicine (botanical medicine, herbology, phytomedicine)(health)
Limulus(medicine)
limulus(dictionary)
limulus test(medicine)
limulus lysate test(medicine)
Medicine Lodge Memorial Hospital- Medicine Lodge(health)

Limulus polyphemus (medicine)


Limulus polyphemus
<marine biology, zoology> Now renamed Xiphosura, though Limulus is still in common usage as a name.

The king crab or horseshoe crab, found on the Atlantic coast of North America. It is more closely related to the arachnids than the crustacea and horseshoe crabs are the only surviving representatives of the subclass Xiphosura.

Its compound eyes have been widely used in studies on visual systems, but it is probably better known from the Limulus amoebocyte lysate LAL) test, LAL is very sensitive to small amounts of endotoxin, clotting rapidly to form a gel and the test is used clinically to test for septicaemia.