Analyzing Arthropods!
Objectives:
- To explore the functions and locations of structures in arthropods, specifically the grasshopper and crayfish, focusing on the respiratory system.
- To understand the roles of grasshoppers and crayfish in their environments.
- To exercise the dissection skills of students and their ability with lab equipment.
The Crayfish:
Taxonomy:
Class: Crustacea
Order: Decapod
Family: Cambaridae
Genus: Cambarus
Species: Bartonii
About the Crayfish:
Crayfish live in ponds, lades, streams, and rivers all over the planet. Their hard outer shell makes them quite a durable animal and thus quite resistant to natural threats such as temperature. Crayfish also moult - meaning that they continually shed and regrow new exoskeleton, making their skeletons even better and stronger. However, there is one thing that crayfish cannot stand at all, and that is the pollution of the water they live in. This hard shell adaptation has allowed crayfish to thrive all over earth. Crayfish tend to burrow underneath rocks as a feeding tactic. Crayfish eat plants, mollusks, larvae of insects, tadpoles, and other small eggs. In turn, they are fed upon by raccoons, foxes, and snakes. Crayfish also play a key role in the prosperity of the environment. By constantly digging on the sea bed, they kick up nutrients and minerals which eventually dissolve into the water, further enriching the water.
In recent times, the overfishing of crayfish due to high demand and good taste has proposed a threat to the current natural habitat. If the crayfish is taken out of the equation, it will throw the entire habitat out of control.
Taxonomy:
Class: Crustacea
Order: Decapod
Family: Cambaridae
Genus: Cambarus
Species: Bartonii
About the Crayfish:
Crayfish live in ponds, lades, streams, and rivers all over the planet. Their hard outer shell makes them quite a durable animal and thus quite resistant to natural threats such as temperature. Crayfish also moult - meaning that they continually shed and regrow new exoskeleton, making their skeletons even better and stronger. However, there is one thing that crayfish cannot stand at all, and that is the pollution of the water they live in. This hard shell adaptation has allowed crayfish to thrive all over earth. Crayfish tend to burrow underneath rocks as a feeding tactic. Crayfish eat plants, mollusks, larvae of insects, tadpoles, and other small eggs. In turn, they are fed upon by raccoons, foxes, and snakes. Crayfish also play a key role in the prosperity of the environment. By constantly digging on the sea bed, they kick up nutrients and minerals which eventually dissolve into the water, further enriching the water.
In recent times, the overfishing of crayfish due to high demand and good taste has proposed a threat to the current natural habitat. If the crayfish is taken out of the equation, it will throw the entire habitat out of control.
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The Grasshopper:
Taxonomy:
Class: Insecta
Order: Orthoptera
Family: Acrididae
Genus: Melanoplus
Species: Differentialis
About the grasshopper:
Grasshoppers belong to class Insecta, which means that they have 3 distinct parts. 6 legs are attacehd to the thorax, two antennae, and lateral compound eyes. Grasshoppers feed on a variety of plants. Birds, lizards, spiders and rodents eat grasshoppers. They are ectothermic and have bilateral symmetry. Grasshoppers are found on all the continents. They go through incomplete metamorphisis.
Taxonomy:
Class: Insecta
Order: Orthoptera
Family: Acrididae
Genus: Melanoplus
Species: Differentialis
About the grasshopper:
Grasshoppers belong to class Insecta, which means that they have 3 distinct parts. 6 legs are attacehd to the thorax, two antennae, and lateral compound eyes. Grasshoppers feed on a variety of plants. Birds, lizards, spiders and rodents eat grasshoppers. They are ectothermic and have bilateral symmetry. Grasshoppers are found on all the continents. They go through incomplete metamorphisis.
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The Respiratory System
The function of the respiratory system is to deliver oxygen to cells and muscles in the body to keep them up and running. The respiratory system consists of spiracles, tracheae, and tracheoles. Openings in the exoskeletons called spiracles let air past the tough shell. Tracheae are a series of duct tubes which carry oxygen throughout the body The tubes that the oxygen passes through are called tracheoles.
Fun Facts!
- Ancestral arthropods were the first land animals
- The oldest arthropod known to have lived on land is the Pneumodesmus newmani.
- Arthropods have segmented bodies. (Made up of repeating units such as pairs of legs, claws, etc.)
- Arthropods have an exoskeleton. (Exoskeleton provides protection, prevents water loss, and provides support.)
- During their life, arthropods go through metamorphosis.
- Arthropods have an open circulatory system.
Works Cited:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Grasshopper_2.JPG PICTURE ONLY
http://www.biologyjunction.com/images/Crayfish03D.jpg
http://www.biologyjunction.com/images/Crayfish08D.jpg
http://www.combat-fishing.com/SFWwideningstrmOz.JPG
http://bugproject.wikispaces.com/file/view/Food_Web.png/148823093/800x583/Food_Web.png
http://pestcemetery.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/grasshopper-pestcemetery.jpg
http://jb004.k12.sd.us/MY%20WEBSITE%20INFO/PICS/HOPPER_2.jpg
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/T/TrachealSystem150.gif
http://mcgbiology.wikispaces.com/file/view/025%2520Internal%2520anatomy%2520of%2520a%2520crayfishjhg.jpg/71993659/658x361/025%2520Internal%2520anatomy%2520of%2520a%2520crayfishjhg.jpg
http://www2.estrellamountain.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/insectexch.gif
http://wiki.hicksvilleschools.org/groups/hsbiology/wiki/b2d5a/Facts_about_Arthropods.html
http://www.biologyjunction.com/images/Crayfish03D.jpg
http://www.biologyjunction.com/images/Crayfish08D.jpg
http://www.combat-fishing.com/SFWwideningstrmOz.JPG
http://bugproject.wikispaces.com/file/view/Food_Web.png/148823093/800x583/Food_Web.png
http://pestcemetery.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/grasshopper-pestcemetery.jpg
http://jb004.k12.sd.us/MY%20WEBSITE%20INFO/PICS/HOPPER_2.jpg
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/T/TrachealSystem150.gif
http://mcgbiology.wikispaces.com/file/view/025%2520Internal%2520anatomy%2520of%2520a%2520crayfishjhg.jpg/71993659/658x361/025%2520Internal%2520anatomy%2520of%2520a%2520crayfishjhg.jpg
http://www2.estrellamountain.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/insectexch.gif
http://wiki.hicksvilleschools.org/groups/hsbiology/wiki/b2d5a/Facts_about_Arthropods.html