Monday, April 20, 2020
09:00 -11:00, 120 min. -
Biology:
TEAMS: Taxonomy / Animals - Worms
GT was quizzed on taxonomy up to the Animal Kingdom. We reviewed the sub-kingdoms of vertebrate and invertebrate animals. We also discussed what we learned last week about sponges and cnidarians. We talked about the glass-like tissue of the sponge, which is only digestible by two species. We talked about the cnidoblasts (stingers) of jellies, corals and anemones; sharing stories of our own adventures with these creatures in the wild. I then introduced GT to the nudibranch, a tiny dragon-like creature of great beauty and a flatworm. We examined many varieties online. We then watched a ‘Shape of Life’ video illustrating the internal structures of the flat worm. Flat worms were the first to have bilateral symmetry, cephalization, and internal fertilization. A session of penis dueling, demonstrated the hermaphroditic quality of worms. Worms also were the first animals that had a head, brain, and stereo senses. We also learned about the many different types of segmented worms, which include the earthworm, and the round worms, which are primarily parasitic.