Monday, February 26, 2007

Movement

Free-living flatworms usually use two means of locomotion at once. The Cilia on their epidermal cells help them glide through the water and over the bottom. Muscle cells controlled by the nervous system allow them to twist and turn so that they are able to react to environmental conditions rapidly. The flatworm glides along over even surfaces on its ventral ciliated surface. It does this by using its muscle layer against something that the cilia can push against. The flatworm is also capable of crawling over or around an obstacle by using its muscular undulations

No comments: