What are the parts of the clam?
Clams are marine mollusks with two valves or shells. Like all mollusks, a clam has a mantle which surrounds its soft body. It also has a muscular foot which enables the clam to burrow itself in mud or sand. The soft tissue above the foot is called the visceral mass and contains the clam’s body organs.
How do you open a clam for a dissection?
Locate the adductor muscles. With your blade pointing toward the dorsal edge, slide your scissors between the upper valve & the top tissue layer. Cut down through both adductor muscles, cutting as close to the shell as possible.
What is the inside of a clam called?
What’s inside a clam? A retractable foot, a siphon for sucking up water, powerful muscles, and, sometimes, a pearl. And you thought oysters were fancy.
How does the clam draw in water and nutrients?
Clams are filter feeders. Water and food particles (and anything else that may be floating by) are drawn in through the incurrent siphon where tiny, hair-like cilia move the water to the gills. Food is caught in mucus produced by the gills. The gills also draw oxygen from the water flow.
What is the mantle cavity in a clam?
The mantle cavity is a central feature of molluscan biology. This cavity is formed by the mantle skirt, a double fold of mantle which encloses a water space. This space contains the mollusk’s gills, anus, osphradium, nephridiopores, and gonopores. The mantle cavity functions as a respiratory chamber in most mollusks.
What structure produces the shell of the clam?
In mollusks that have shells, such as clams, mussels, and snails, the mantle is what secretes calcium carbonate and a matrix to form the mollusk’s shell. In mollusks that lack shells, such as the slug, the mantle is completely visible. In some mollusks with shells, you can see the mantle extending from under the shell.
What does the UMBO do in a clam?
The umbo is where the two valves (or shells) are held together. The retractor muscle scar is where the retractor muscle attaches to the live mussel shell. The retractor muscle is used to open the mussel shell.
How can you tell how old a clam is?
Clams grow in seasons when the water is warm (April-October). You can count the growth rings like you would age a tree. Count the darkest rings, each ring represents 1 year. Now it’s your turn!
Are there pearls in clams?
However, clams also produce precious jewels known as pearls. Pearls can be found in a number of shapes and colors, according to which they can be quite valuable indeed! Pearls can be created by most bivalve creatures of the sea- which include mollusks, oysters, clams, and mussels.
What are the little shells that bury themselves?
In Florida the species is Donax variabili, locally called Coquina, whose shells make a soft rock for building. On the American Pacific coast it is Donax gouldii, locally known as Bean Clam or Wedge Clam.
What holds clam shells together?
A hinge ligament made of elastic protein joins the two halves of the shell together, and large adductor muscles between the two valves hold them closed. When the shell is closed, the top part of the hinge ligament is stretched and the lower part is compressed.
How do clams close their shells?
One thing most clam species have in common is they can open and close their shells using two super-strong adductor muscles. Some clams will use those muscles to open their shells when they are in search of food.
How do you dissection a clams?
Clam Dissection Questions. To get a better view of this region, take the clam out of the shell so you can look at the dorsal side. The clam should come out of its shell fairly easily if you cut the adductor muscles away from the right shell. Looking down on the dorsal side will enable you to see the pericardium.
How do you identify a clams siphon?
Place a clam in a dissecting tray and identify the anterior and posterior ends of the clam as well as the dorsal, ventral, & lateral surfaces. Figure 1 The left valve is on top if your clam is correctly positioned. The siphons are at the posterior end. If the siphons are not visible, determine which is the ventral side by using the umbo.
How many slides are in this online clam dissection presentation?
This online slide presentation features an image rich overview of clam dissections. The 31 slides include images portraying step of a dissection as well as… ( more info) Clam Dissections.
How do you find the umbo of a clam?
Locate the umbo, the bump at the anterior end of the valve. This is the oldest part of the clam shell. Find the hinge ligament which hinges the valves together and observe the growth rings. 4. Turn the clam with its dorsal side down and insert a screwdriver between the ventral edges of the valves.