Curricular Response
During my dissection work in Biology 11 I learned about the trends cephalization and advances in digestive tracts the more advanced an organism is. Sponges for example, have no digestive tract, wheras Planaria have a simple 2-way tract. Earthworms have a 1- way digestive tract (most of their body is dedicated to this), a major advancement. Cephalization (increased nerve density in the head) was also a trend. Sponges have no real nervous system, and earthworms have a pair of ganglia (primitive brain). More elaborate means of movement was also observed. Sponges and coral are primarily sessile, worms ungulate and squid use a water jet to propel themselves. Limbs become more elaborate as well. Shrimp have 3 types of specialized legs.
Core Competency Self Assessment
I am the most proud of the shrimp lab because I got to eat it afterwards. I had volunteered to eat the head the week before (no idea why). It tasted like shrimp but with more flavours. Not flavours I expected. Or wanted. I had problems finding some of the organs on the animals. This includes the heart of the squid and the ganglia of the earthworm. I solved these problems by referring to the diagram in my notes. I also had a hard time getting the mussel open with the razor blade (thin gap). I disliked the squid dissection because I appreciate Cephalopods and didn’t want to tear one apart. I pushed through this though.