Exercise 16: Echinoderms

Lab completed 4/24
Lab due 5/1

I. Objective Observe and study the structure and functionality of various examples of echinoderms, including; but not limited to: sea stars, sea urchins, brittle stars, and sea cucumbers. The ultimate objective is to be able to differentiate between echinoderms and other types of marine species based on their characteristics.

II. Introduction Echinoderms are a marine phylum that stems off of chordata. Echinoderms are the largest marine phylum that has no terrestrial life in it whatsoever. The echinoderms are important both biologically and geologically. Biologically, there are few other groupings so abundant in the biotic desert of the deep sea, as well as shallower oceans. The more notably distinct trait, which most echinoderms have, is their remarkable powers of regeneration of tissue, organs, limbs, and of asexual reproduction, and in some cases, complete regeneration from a single limb. Echinoderms primarily use their tube feet to move about but some sea urchins also use their spines. The tube feet typically have a tip shaped like a suction pad in which a vacuum can be created by contraction of muscles. This along with some stickiness provided by the secretion of mucus provides adhesion. Waves of tube feet contractions and relaxations move along the adherent surface and the animal moves slowly along.

III. Methods and Materials For this lab it was actually mostly observation of live specimens (compared to looking at slides under the microscope). We looked at sea stars, brittle stars, sea urchins, sand dollars, sea cucumbers, and feather stars. The slides we observed were; starfish, tube feet, starfish ray.

IV. Results

V. Discussion After this