What is the male copulatory organ of some flatworms called?
Some free-living flatworms perform a type of copulation known as hypodermic impregnation, whereby the penis of one animal pierces the epidermis of another and injects sperm into the tissues. Some forms reproduce asexually through budding.
Is Planaria male or female?
All planarians are hermaphrodites, so their reproductive system has a male and a female part. Both parts communicate with the surface of the body via a single opening called gonopore, which is located on the ventral side of the posterior half of the body.
Are planarians turbellarians?
planarian, (class Turbellaria), any of a group of widely distributed, mostly free-living flatworms of the class Turbellaria (phylum Platyhelminthes). Planaria is the name of one genus, but the name planarian is used to designate any member of the family Planariidae and related families.
How do planarians mate?
Through a process called “fission,” planarians can reproduce asexually by simply tearing themselves into two pieces — a head and a tail — which then go on to form two new worms within about a week.
Why Platyhelminthes are called flatworms?
Animals belonging to the phylum Platyhelminthes are also called flatworms due to dorsoventrally flattened bodies.
What other organ systems does a planaria possess?
Planarians have no apparent circulatory or respiratory systems; however, they do possess muscles which line the inner wall of the body in longitudinal, diagonal, and circular orientations. The mesenchyme of the planarian body is populated with numerous undifferentiated pluripotent cells, known as neoblasts.
What are copulatory organs?
An organ utilized by the male animal for insemination, that is, to deposit spermatozoa directly into the female reproductive tract. Various types of copulatory organs are found among the vertebrates, whereas cloacal apposition occurs in most other vertebrates which lack these structures.
How do turbellarians reproduce?
Turbellarians are simultaneous hermaphrodites and lay eggs bundled into cocoons. The young undergo direct development and hatch as juveniles. Spiral cleavage is prevalent. Some turbellarians can reproduce asexually by fission.
How are turbellarians different from other flatworms?
Unlike their parasitic cousins in the flatworm group (the tapeworms and flukes), most turbellarians are free-living, and most are carnivores, eating tiny aquatic invertebrates such as rotifers, small crustaceans, and other worms.
How do Turbellarians reproduce asexually?
What is the reproduction of planaria?
Asexual freshwater planarians reproduce by tearing themselves into two pieces by a process called binary fission. The resulting head and tail pieces regenerate within about a week, forming two new worms. Understanding this process of ripping oneself into two parts poses a challenging biomechanical problem.
Which phylum of animals is also known as flat worms?
phylum Platyhelminthes
flatworm, also called platyhelminth, any of the phylum Platyhelminthes, a group of soft-bodied, usually much flattened invertebrates.