Starfish Dissection

Starfish Dissection 

-Starfish are found in plenty of marine environments. They are commonly found in the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic oceans as well as the Mediterranean sea.

-Some starfish mainly get their nutrition from mollusks but they also feed on sand dollars, oysters, clams, and mussels. Other starfish get their nutrition from decomposing plants and animals in the water or on the beach or even hunt plankton, sponges, and coral.

-To break open mollusks to eat them, starfish tightly wrap themselves around them to powerfully break the muscles that hold the mollusks together. The starfish then pushes it’s mouth out of its stomach, consumes the mollusk, and then re-swallows it’s stomach. Crazy, right?

-Starfish breathe through the thin tissue on their tube feet which allows gases to easily pass through. Their tube feet and papulae, small pimply bumps on their body, transport oxygen or carbon dioxide in and out of their bodies.

-Star fish are not fish for they are echinoderms. They do not have gills, fins, or scales, which fish contain.

Sources-

http://animals.pawnation.com/starfish-found-1879.html

http://www.whatdostarfisheat.info/

http://www.conservapedia.com/Starfish

Dissection

Major internal/external anatomy-

anus- end of the digestive tract where waste comes out from

spines- for protection and connects to the endoskeleton

arm- helps in movement

eyespot- sensitive to dark and bright light

Major internal/external anatomy-

mouth- used in feeding

ambulacral groove- located on the underside of the starfish

tube foot- used to hold on to prey and locomotion

Major internal/external anatomy-

pyloric cecum- stores digested food and produces digestive enzymes

ambulacral ridge- extends from the mouth to the tip

ampullae- creates suction (similar to an eyedropper)

pyloric stomach- connects to the digestive glands and anus

Major internal/external anatomy-

ring canal- where water is filtered through form the madreporite

Anatomy Sources- http://www.chesterfield.k12.sc.us/cheraw%20intermediate/DaveEvans/BiologyICP/Starfish%20Dissection.pdf

https://teacher.ocps.net/keila.mena/seastardissection.htm

http://www.emerchandise.com/images/p/SBS/pdPASBS0005.jpg

http://visual.merriam-webster.com/animal-kingdom/simple-organisms-echinoderms/echinoderms/anatomy-starfish.php

Clam Dissection

Clam Dissection 

-Clams are found in marine and freshwater habitats. Most clam species live in mostly shallow waters that are sandy or muddy, yet some species live in extremely deep waters in the Pacific Ocean.

                                                                                   

-Clams pump water in and out of their bodies in order to catch organisms such as plankton, zooplankton, algae, and copepods. They get most of their nutrition from organisms that float near the bottom of the water they live in.

-Clams breathe through their cilia-covered gills. Their gills remove oxygen from the water as well as filter food into the body.

-Clams cannot see, smell, or hear. They do not contain the organs that provide the functions for sight, a sense of smell, or the ability to hear.

 Sources-

http://www.molluscs.at/bivalvia/

http://animals.howstuffworks.com/marine-life/clam-info.htm

Dissection

Major internal/external anatomy-

Growth ring- used to determine it’s age

Major internal/external anatomy-

Umbo- the oldest part of the clam

 

Ligament- used to hinge the two halves together

Major internal/external anatomy-

anterior/posterior adductor- holds the two halves of the clam together

 

gills- used to respiration and gas exchange

 

mantle- secretes the shell

 

foot- used for movement

Anatomy Sources-

http://www.chesterfield.k12.sc.us/cheraw%20intermediate/DaveEvans/BiologyICP/Clam-Mussel%20Dissection.pdf

http://www.biologyjunction.com/clam%20dissection.pdf

http://www.biologyjunction.com/clam_dissection.htm

Fish Dissection

Fish Dissection 

-Fish are found in nearly all bodies of water that have enough food and oxygen such as oceans, lakes, rivers, ponds, and streams. They can live and both freshwater and saltwater. Different species need different temperatures of water to live in; some fish need colder water temperatures while others require warmer temperatures.

-Fish diets vary by their species. Some fish like to eat worms, seaweed, plankton, and sometimes even other fish. Fish in the ocean get their nutrition mostly from plankton, seaweed, or the small creatures that live on seaweed.

-Fish are able to breathe underwater with the help of gills, organs that contain blood vessels. Dissolved oxygen passes through their gills, moving into their bloodstream and cells.

-The most poisonous fish that exists is called the stone fish. This fish can cause paralysis, shock, and even death if its sting is not treated within a few hours.                                                                            

Sources-

http://www.discoverboating.com/resources/article.aspx?id=113 

http://www.ducksters.com/animals/fish.php 

http://diet.yukozimo.com/category/fish/ 

http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-do-fish-breathe-underwater/ 

Dissection

Major internal/external anatomy-

Anal fin-keeps fish upright and helps with stability while swimming

Lateral line- subcutaneous cana that locates and detects animals and objects

Caudal fin- used for powerful swim strokes to propel the fish

Dorsal fin-gives stability and keeps fish upright when swimming

pectoral fin- used to swim and for stability, stopping, and thermoregulation

operculum- covers the gills and is used for hearing

Major internal/external anatomy-

Swim bladder- hydrostatic balancing, sound production, reception, respiration, and gas secretion

Stomach- recieves food to be digested

Pyloric caeca- where digestion and fermentation takes place

Anus- end of the digestive tract where waste comes out from

Gonad- production of gametes

Aorta- supplies blood through the body

Major internal/external anatomy-

Gill rakers/filaments- water and oxygen exchange

 Anatomy Sources-

http://visual.merriam-webster.com/animal-kingdom/fishes/bony-fish/anatomy-perch.php

http://www.lz95.org/assets/1/17/9_ch_39_lab_perch.pdf

Earthworm Dissection

Earthworm Dissection 

-Earthworms can live in the soil in a variety of places as long as they can stay moist and have access to nutritious soil. They are indigenous to Europe but are also often abundantly found in North America and Western Asia.

-Earthworms eat dirt, a nutritious breakdown of decayed leaves, roots, and manure. From the soil, they are also consuming living organisms such as bacteria, protozoa, fungi, and nematodes.

                                                                                   

-They breathe through their skin, which must be moist, thus moving air directly into their bloodstream. Worms do not have lungs. Since their skin has to be moist to breathe, they can’t become too dry or too wet or they will suffocate and die.

 -They are hermaphroditic, which means they can both lay eggs when both parties mate. These eggs are laid in cocoons that hatch in around three weeks.

 Sources-

http://www.fullcycle.co.za/index.php/Information/about-earthworms.html

http://extension.illinois.edu/worms/anatomy/anatomy10.html

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/earthworm/

Dissection

Major internal/external anatomy-

Anus-where waste exits

Segment-important structural bodies on a worm

Clitellum-swelled area involved in reproduction

Prostomium-sensory device that helps worms feel around

Major internal/external anatomy-

Ventral Nerve Cord-two nerves that form a connecting collar around pharynx, relays messages between the brain and the body

Intestine-where enzymes break down food

Gizzard-grinding food

Hearts-pump blood throughout worm body

Crop-food storage

Anatomy source-http://www.biologycorner.com/worksheets/earthworm_dissection_key.html

Frog Dissection

Frog Dissection 

-Frogs are found in every continent all over the world except for Antarctica. They live in warmer climates since they are cold-blooded creatures, creatures that take in their heat from their environment.

-They get their nutrition mainly from insects and small animals such as minnows, earthworms,  and spiders.

 -When submerged in water, a frog’s respiration takes place through their permeable skin. Outside of water they take in air through their nostrils, which passes through their lungs. Although they don’t have diaphragms or ribs, they still breathe similarly to humans.

-Like trees, frogs form rings that reveal their age when counted. Each year, their  bones form a new growth ring when they are in hibernation.

Sources-

http://www.defenders.org/frogs/basic-facts

http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Engineering/Courses/En123/MuscleExp/Frog%20Respiration.htm

http://www.kidzone.ws/lw/frogs/facts12.htm

Dissection 

Major internal/external anatomy-

Liver-aids in digestion, makes bile

Heart-pumps blood throughout the frog’s body

Major internal/external anatomy-

Gall Bladder- sac that stores bile

Lungs-exchanges oxygen and co2 from the body

Stomach-breaks down food; it’s the first site of chemical digestion

Major internal/external anatomy-

Intestines-the small intestine absorbs nutrients from food and the large intestine collects waste and absorbs water

Fat bodies-masses of fat in the body cavities of both sex

Major internal/external anatomy-

Kidneys-filter blood

 

Oviduct-eggs travel through to the cloaca

Anatomy Sources-http://www.biologycorner.com/bio2/notes-frog.html

Grasshopper Disection

Grasshopper Dissection 

-Grasshoppers are found on all continents on Earth except for Antarctica. They mostly prefer to live in open, dry environments that contain plenty of grasses and other low plants. However, some species like to live in jungles or forests.

-Grasshoppers eat plants- they are primarily herbivores. Their nutrition mostly consists of leaves but sometimes consists of stems, seeds, and flowers. Although they are herbivores, they sometimes eat dead insects for protein.

-Since grasshoppers do not have lungs, they breathe through spiracles, or tiny holes in their bodies. They contain 10 pairs of spiracles on their abdomens and thoraxes. Air moves into the front spiracles and leaves through the back spiracles.

-The ancestors of grasshoppers existed long before dinosaurs existed. They evolved more than 200 million years ago. Primitive grasshoppers are found in fossils that are remains from the Carboniferous period, 300 million years ago.

Sources-

http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Acrididae/

http://animals.howstuffworks.com/insects/grasshopper-info1.htm

http://insects.about.com/od/grasshoppersandcrickets/a/10-Cool-Facts-About-Grasshoppers.htm

Dissection

Major internal/external anatomy-

 

tibia- lower part of the leg for movement

 

femur- higher part of the leg for movement

 

forewing- protects the hind wings and used for flight

 

prothorax- protects the digestive tract and blood vessles

 

antenna- used as sensory feelers for touch, taste, and equilibrium

Major internal/external anatomy-

crop- food storage

gastric ceca- secretes enzymes into the stomach

stomach- breaks down food; it’s the first site of chemical digestion

large intestine- collects waste and absorbs water

small intestine- absorbs nutrients from food

Anatomy Sources-

 

http://www.hamilton-local.k12.oh.us/Downloads/5-10_Grasshopper%20Dissection.pdf

http://iws.collin.edu/efelker/Biology%201407%201409/grasshopper%20dissection.pdf

https://quizlet.com/11174119/grasshopper-dissection-flash-cards/ ]http://www.biologyjunction.com/grasshopper_dissection.htm

 

Crayfish Dissection

Crayfish Dissection 

-Crayfish live in almost all bodies of freshwater. They can survive in ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, and sometimes even water-filled ditches.

-They get their nutrition from both animals and plants, making them omnivorous. They eat both living and dead organisms, as long as they are relatively fresh. Some food they eat includes worms, insect larvae, frogs, salamanders, toads, insects, and fish eggs.

-Crayfish breathe through their gills which are located on both sides of their cephalothorax. Their gills are protected under their exoskeletons. Once passed through their gills, oxygen passes and diffuses into their bloodstream. Carbon dioxide leaves through the gills and is passed into the water.

-Red colored crayfish are the most common, followed by blue colored crayfish, and least commonly white crayfish.

Sources-

http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/crayfish_%28cambarus%29.htm

http://www.ehow.com/info_10016579_crayfish-oxygen.html

http://www.johnston.k12.ia.us/schools/lawson/gradelevellinks/crayfish/funfact.html

Dissection

Major internal/external anatomy-

 

third maxilliped- used to manipulate food

 

walking legs- used for movement and is attached to gills

 

swimmerets- used for movement and determining sex

 

 

Major internal/external anatomy-

 

telson/uropod- used in rapid, backwards escape swimming

 

abdomen- segmented and flexible for easy movement

 

thorax- makes up the cephalothorax

 

cervical groove- separates the head and thoracic regions

 

head- makes up the cephalothorax

 

cephalothorax- used as an armor/ protection

 

compound eye- allows the crayfish to see and detect movement

 

cheliped- claws to grab onto things and defense against predators

 

antenna- used as sensory feelers for touch, taste, and equilibrium

 

 

Major internal/external anatomy-

 

stomach- breaks down food; it’s the first site of chemical digestion

 

gills- water and oxygen exchange

 

heart- pumps blood throughout the crayfish’s body

 

Major internal/external anatomy-

intestine- the small intestine absorbs nutrients from food and the large intestine collects waste and absorbs water

 

tail muscles- help in strong movement of the crayfish

Anatomy Sources-

http://mrescience.com/images/pdf/pdf_life/crayfish_dissection.pdf

http://biologycorner.com/worksheets/crayfishexternal.html