Cnidarians

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Cnidaria

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A phylum including corals, sea anemones, and jellyfish.

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Ectoderm/ Epidermis

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The outer layer in cnidarians. These cells help capture food and secrete mucus.

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Endoderm

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The inner layer of cells in cnidarians. Cells in this layer produce digestive enzymes and break up food particles.

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Mesoglea

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The jellylike material between the epidermis and endoderm.

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Gastrovascular cavity

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A central cavity that extends into hollow tentacles.

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Polyp

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A form with the body shaped like a hollow cylinder or a bag that opens and closes at the top

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Medusa

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A form with the body shaped like an umbrella with the mouth and tentacles facing down. They are not sessile and swim freely in the open ocean.

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Radial Symmetry

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The bodies extending out like a cylinder from a central axis. Corals, jellyfish, and sea anemones have this form of symmetry.

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cnidocytes

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stinging cells, each containing a nematocyst

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nematocyst

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A coiled, tubular, harpoon like structure that allows cnidocytes to sting. They inject venom into the prey.

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Hydrostatic skeleton

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the water pressure that supports soft tissues

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Enzymes

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Digestive chemicals that break chunks of food down into tiny particles

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Plankton

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A classification of organisms that cannot swim against a current.

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Nerve Net

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A connection or network of cells with long thin fibers that respond to mechanical or chemical stimuli.

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Mechanoreception

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The ability to respond to a stimulus of touch or pressure.

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Chemoreception

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The ability to respond to chemical stimuli

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Photoreception

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The ability to respond to changes in light intensity

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Sexual reproduction

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females produce eggs in ovaries, males produce sperm in the testes, and they are fertilized.

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Fertilization

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egg and sperm unite

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larva

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Young growing organism that is not yet an adult. They can swim, but not against a current.

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Cilia

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Small hairlike structures that help (larva) with movement by beating back and forth.

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Asexual reproduction

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Produces identical offspring from one parent. An example for cnidarians is budding.

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Budding

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A form of asexual reproduction. Cells begin to bulge out from the side or base of the parent, and form a new organism.

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Regeneration

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regrowing lost or damage parts

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Class Hydrozoa

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Contains the form medusa

Freshwater polyps

regenerative

Reproduce sexually and asexually (budding)

Eat larval insects and tiny crustaceans

Examples: Obelia colonies and Portuguese man of war

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Class Scyphozoa

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True jellies

Have radial symmetry

Eat plankton like mollusks, crustaceans, copepods, and zoo plankton.

Medusa and polyp forms

Gonads are used to identify moon jellies

Contains: Common jelly, moon jelly, or Aurelia.

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Class Anthozoa

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Sea anemone

Subclass Zoantharia contains corals

sessile

get food from currents

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Class Anthozoa

Subclass Zoantharia

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Contains corals

sessile

food from currents stung by tentacles