Exercise 8: Bilateria

Task Sheet
BSC 2011L Spring 2020
Task 1: Phylum Platyhelminthes

1. What is the benefit of cephalization?
2. What do you notice about the shape of flatworms? How is this shape beneficial?
3. Describe the movement of a flatworm.
4. How do flatworms reach to light?
5. Briefly describe the life cycle of a tapeworm.

Task 2: Diversity – Mollusks and Arthropods

1. Explain the differences between a protostome and a deuterostome.
a. How is their cleavage different?
b. How is their coelom development different?
c. What does the blastopore become in each case?

Task 2A: Phylum Mollusca

1. Describe the general body plan on a mollusk
2. Describe the circulatory system found in mollusks.
3. How do mollusks feed?

Use your manual and the virtual dissection of the clam to answer the following questions.
https://4.files.edl.io/8fb9/02/06/19/013251-3d524ee9-418e-4da9-a33e-4f6520d3b0b1.pdf

4. What are the layers that make up the clam shell?

5. The concentric rings on the shells of mollusks are referred to as growth rings. Which
part of the shell do you suppose forms first? (i.e. which is the oldest section of the
shell?)
6. Which part of the shell corresponds to its orientation?
7. What is the process in which pearls are made?
8. Briefly describe the function of the:
a. Mantle
b. Adductor muscles
c. Foot
d. Gills
e. Visceral mass


Use you manual and the virtual dissection of the snail to answer the following:
https://idtools.org/id/mollusc/dissection_snail.php

9. What determines the direction of the shell coiling?
10. When a snail is crawling about, what parts of its body are outside the confines of the
shell?
11. What is the operculum?
12. Does the operculum completely seal of the snail’s body from its surroundings when
the animal is disturbed? Is the operculum continuous with the shell itself?
13. Snails and slugs tend to leave a slime trail when moving around. What is the
purpose of this?

Use your manual and the virtual dissection of the squid to answer the following questions:
https://www.biologycorner.com/worksheets/squid_virtual.html

14. How is the mantle of a squid different than that if a clam?
15. Which part of the squid represents the foot?
16. Briefly describe the function of the:
a. Pen
b. Ink sac
c. Siphon/funnel
d. Beak

Task 2B: Phylum Arthropoda

1. The segmented arthropod body is usually divided in what 3 parts?
2. Briefly describe the circulatory system of arthropods

Use the manual and virtual dissection of the crayfish to answer the following questions:
https://biologycorner.com/worksheets/anatomy_crayfish_virtual.html

3. How do the appendages of crustaceans differ from the rest of the arthropods?
4. What is the carapace?
5. What is the rostrum?
6. Describe the function of the:
a. Mandibles
b. Maxillipeds
c. Swimmerets
d. Cheliped





Use the manual and the virtual dissection of the grasshopper to answer the following
questions:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1KPrffrlWyejVdI5L8pZDWOTvguIRcp8r4dofSrSI
SDs/htmlpresent

7. How have insects become so “successful” when it comes to diversity and
complexity?
8. What is the cuticle? What is it composed of?
9. How does the body plan of insects differ from that of crustaceans?
10. How do they eyes of insects differ from those of crustaceans?
11. What is the prothorax?
12. What is the function of the tympanum?
13. What is the function of the spiracles?