Monday, May 25, 2015

Clam Dissection

Facts

  • Clams live in both freshwater and marine environments.
  • They eat plankton.
  • They take in oxygen through the surrounding water to breathe.
  • “Clams do not have any sense. They cannot smell, hear or even see because they have no noses, ears and eyes.”

External Anatomy:
  • umbo: highest, most prominent part of the shell
  • growth rings: age markers
  • hinge ligament: located near umbo, hinges valves together


Internal Anatomy:
  • gonad: reproductive organ, produces egg or sperm
  • gills:respiratory structures responsible for obtaining water and food
  • digestive gland: used for digestion after passing mouth
  • foot: used to burrow into mud and sand
  • mantle: tissue that lines valve and covers soft body of clam
  • posterior/anterior adductors:on the sides of the clams, used to close shell.
  • exhalant siphon:expels water and waste out of the clam
  • inhalant siphon:brings in oxygen, food, and water into the clam
  • teeth: ridges near anterior end of hinge that interlock when shell is closed



Incision Guide:

  • cut along ventral side
Dissection video:





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