Cnidarian Basics
Name three organisms that belong to Cnidaria
Jellyfish, Box Jelly fish, Coral, Sea anemones, Hydra, Portuguese man o' war ect
Whihc cnidarian body plan is generally umbrella-shaped and free-swimming?
Medusa
What specialized cell gives Cnidaria its name?
Cnidocyte
True or False: Cnidarians can reproduce both sexually and asexually.
True
What organisms live inside coral and provide nutrients through photosynthesis?
Zooxanthellae
How many species of cnidarians have been discovered?
14,515
Which body plan is generally stalk like and attached to a surface
Polyp
True or False: Cnidocytes electrocute prey.
False, Cnidocytes use specialized stinging strucutres to capture/ immovlize prey
What is the name of the asexual reproductive structure that develops as an outgrowth from a polyp?
Bud
What is coral bleaching?
Coral bleaching occurs when coral loses its symbiotic algae, causing the coral to lose much of its color and an important source of nutrients.
What type of symmetry do cnidarians have and are they diploblastic triploblastic?
What structure is responsible for capturing prey and is covered with cnidocyctes
Tentacles
What structure acts as the trigger that causes a cnidocyte to discharge?
Operculum or Trigger
Put these in the correct order: zygote → planula → polyp → medusa.
Zygote → planula → polyp → medusa
How do clownfish and sea anemones benefit from their relationship?
Mutualism: the clownfish receives protection while the anemone can receive benefits such as nutrients/food and protection from some predators.
True or False: Cnidarians are found only in warm, shallow saltwater. Explain your answer
False, Cnidarians can live in freshwater, Cold water, Warm water, Deep ocean, ect.
Explain how a cnidarian's gastrovascular cavity is different from the digestive systm of a animal with a complete digestive tract
Cnidarians have a incomplete digestive system with one opening serving as both the mouth and exit for waste; they also lack true organs such as the stomach
How does the nervous system of a jellyfish differ from the nervous system of a human?
Cnidarians have a nerve net rather than a centralized brain and nervous system.
What happens during strobilation, and what structure is produced?
The strobila produces ephyrae, which develop into adult medusae.
Give two ways cnidarians are important to marine ecosystems.
providing habitat, supporting food webs, contributing to coral reefs, providing shelter for other organisms, and influencing marine biodiversity.
A scientist discovers an animal that has true tissues, radial symmetry, two embryonic layers, and no organs, What phylum would you predict it belongs to? Explain your reasoing
Cnidaria, because those characteristics match the basic body organization of cnidarians
A student say, "The mesoglea is the same thing as the mesohyl in a sponge" Is the student correct, explain why or why not
A jellyfish and a coral are both cnidarians. Which would you expect to have the more complex nervous system, and why?
The jellyfish, because its free-swimming lifestyle requires more sensory and coordinated movement abilities. Jellyfish can also have rhopalia, which contain sensory structures.
Explain how a jellyfish can alternate between the polyp and medusa body plans during its life cycle.
The polyp stage is generally associated with asexual reproduction, while the medusa stage produces gametes for sexual reproduction. The resulting offspring eventually develop into polyps, completing the cycle.
Explain why coral bleaching can have consequences far beyond the individual coral colony.
Coral reefs provide habitat and resources for many marine organisms. When coral is stressed and bleaches, the loss of the coral's symbiotic algae and potential coral death can reduce reef structure and the habitat/resources available to many other organisms.