Questions on Organ Systems Anatomy and Physiology:
- What are the three major processes that occur in the digestive system?
- How does an earthworm process its food? What structure manually breaks down food particles?
- What is the function of the intestine in all animals? What are the implications of increasing the length (and/or surface area) of the small intestine? How is the surface area of the earthworm intestine increased?
- What structural feature(s) does the gastrovascular cavity of Dugesia share with the intestine of the earthworm?
- Why is the digestive tract of Ascaris so unspecialized and why don't tapeworms have one at all?
- The mouth of the leech has toothed jaws, which it uses to make an incision in its host to feed on its blood. An anticoagulant, hirudin, secreted into the wound keeps the host's blood flowing. What arthropods might benefit from having such an anticoagulant?