Squid Lab
Comparative Structure and Functions:
Mollusca are far more advanced than jellyfish in many ways. Organisms in this phylum have three germ layers, an increase of 50% from Cnidarians and Poriferans. Mollusks also have bilateral symmetry, just like homo sapiens. The class cephalopod in this phylum contains organisms which have evolved primitive brains in their heads. Squids have also evolved kidneys to filter out toxins during excretion. Squids have a body cavity which more primitive organisms don't have. Squids can also breath through gills while previous organisms only breathed through respiration. Squids even have a closed circulatory system which is more advanced than jellyfish also.
Taxonomy:
Members of the phylum Mollusca, known as mollusks, are soft-bodied animals that usually have an internal or external shells. Mollusks include snails, slugs, clams, squids, and octopi. These organisms are separated into three classes: Gastropoda, Bivalvia, and Cephalopoda. Gastropoda is a class including pond snails, land slugs, sea butterflies, sea hares, limpets, and nudibranchs. All of these organisms are shell-less or single-shelled mollusks that move using a muscular foot on the ventral side. Members of the class Bivalvia have two shells that are held together by one or two powerful muscles. These organisms include clams, oysters, mussels, and scallops. The last class in this phylum is Cephalopoda - members of this class include octopi, squids, cuttlefishes, and nautiluses. Cephalopods are soft-bodied mollusks with a head attached to a single foot. This foot is often divided into tentacles or arms. This class is especially notable because its organisms have a concentration of nerves in the head.
Ecology:
Mollusks have an important part in ecology. They feed on plants, or other animals. They are able to “clean up” by filtering out algae. They do this by eating the detritus in the algae. Not only do mollusks eat, but they are also important sources of food for many animals, including humans. Humans will eat clams for the most part. People will most commonly eat clams. Each day, our understanding of mollusks expands, and it will continue to for many years to come.
Mollusca are far more advanced than jellyfish in many ways. Organisms in this phylum have three germ layers, an increase of 50% from Cnidarians and Poriferans. Mollusks also have bilateral symmetry, just like homo sapiens. The class cephalopod in this phylum contains organisms which have evolved primitive brains in their heads. Squids have also evolved kidneys to filter out toxins during excretion. Squids have a body cavity which more primitive organisms don't have. Squids can also breath through gills while previous organisms only breathed through respiration. Squids even have a closed circulatory system which is more advanced than jellyfish also.
Taxonomy:
Members of the phylum Mollusca, known as mollusks, are soft-bodied animals that usually have an internal or external shells. Mollusks include snails, slugs, clams, squids, and octopi. These organisms are separated into three classes: Gastropoda, Bivalvia, and Cephalopoda. Gastropoda is a class including pond snails, land slugs, sea butterflies, sea hares, limpets, and nudibranchs. All of these organisms are shell-less or single-shelled mollusks that move using a muscular foot on the ventral side. Members of the class Bivalvia have two shells that are held together by one or two powerful muscles. These organisms include clams, oysters, mussels, and scallops. The last class in this phylum is Cephalopoda - members of this class include octopi, squids, cuttlefishes, and nautiluses. Cephalopods are soft-bodied mollusks with a head attached to a single foot. This foot is often divided into tentacles or arms. This class is especially notable because its organisms have a concentration of nerves in the head.
Ecology:
Mollusks have an important part in ecology. They feed on plants, or other animals. They are able to “clean up” by filtering out algae. They do this by eating the detritus in the algae. Not only do mollusks eat, but they are also important sources of food for many animals, including humans. Humans will eat clams for the most part. People will most commonly eat clams. Each day, our understanding of mollusks expands, and it will continue to for many years to come.