CLAM DISSECTION

FACTS ABOUT THE CLAM

• Economically bivalves are responsible for creating pearls.
• Bivalves are also important agents in bioerosion.
• Bivalves are also a popular food choice for seafood lovers.
• There are about 6,615,000,000 pounds of bivalves harvested each year.
• Bivalves are dominant filter feeders, and play an important role in their ecosystems.

CONTINUE

• Human influence on bivalves have harmful effects

DISSECTION EXPERTISE

• Get and open the clam
• Remove all that's inside
• Remove all access skin from around the foot
• Cut the off the foot
• Cut open the left gill and fold back skin
• Observe

BODY SYSTEMS

MUSCULAR-SKELETAL

• A Mollusk has an outer shell. It has a soft body. It has a muscular foot that it uses for movement.

Digestion

• A Mollusk has food brought in through a siphon system and then to its mouth. It then goes to a digestive gland and to its intestine. Wastes leave via the anus.

Nervous

• A Mollusk has no formal nervous system, but has a series of ganglia that conduct impulses.

Circulation

• A Mollusk has a heart, blood and blood vessels.

Respiration

• A Mollusk has tubes called siphons that bring water in and out of their bodies so that they can get oxygen and give off carbon dioxide. They have gills that help with this.

Reproduction

• A Mollusk is either male or female and reproduces sexually with a large organ called a gonad.

Excretion

• A Mollusk has an excretory system with an anus. It has an organ called the nephridium that gets rid of wastes.

CLAM PARTS & FUCTIONS

• Anterior adductor- opens the shell.
• Stomach- stores food
• Digestive gland- breaks down food
• Posterior adductor- closes shell.
• Heart- pumps blood
• Exhalent siphon- brings water out
• Gills- filters oxygen.
• Inhalent siphon- brings water in
• Mantle- produces the shell.
• Foot- movement.

CONTINUES

• Gonad- for reproduction
• Palp- guides food into clams mouth
• Umbo- where the shell starts to grow

Untitled Slide

Untitled Slide