NOTE

B I O L O G Y

ANIMAL KINGDOM
PHYLUM COELENTERATA, PHYLUM
CTENOPHORA, PHYLUM PLATYHELMINTHES,
PHYLUM ASCHELMINTHES

Key Takeaways

Characteristic features of:

• Phylum Coelenterata • Phylum Platyhelminthes
• Phylum Ctenophora • Phylum Aschelminthes

Prerequisites

Current Basis of Classification of Animals

Levels of Germ layer

Symmetry Coelom Segmentation Notochord
Organisation Organisation

Cell Radial Diploplastic Acoelomates Segmented Chordates

Bilateral Triploplastic Pseudocoelo- Unsegmented Non-
Tissue Asymmetric mates chordates
Coelomates
Organ

Organ system

Kingdom Animalia

Porifera Ctenophora Aschelminthes Arthropoda Echinodermata Chordata

Coelenterata Platyhelminthes Annelida Mollusca Hemichordata

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Phylum Cnidaria or Coelenterata

Phylum Cnidaria includes organisms like Adamsia (sea anemone), Meandrina (Brain coral),
Physalia (Portuguese man-of-war), Hydra, etc.

Kingdom Animalia

Porifera Ctenophora Aschelminthes Arthropoda Echinodermata Chordata

Coelenterata Platyhelminthes Annelida Mollusca Hemichordata

Characteristics of Phylum Cnidaria

• Presence of cnidoblasts
• Cnidarians are carnivorous.
Trigger
They contain special stinging
cells called cnidocytes or
cnidoblasts or nematocytes on Cytoplasm
the tentacles, which they use to
capture prey. Nematocyst
capsule
• The name ‘Cnidaria’ is derived
Hydra Coiled thread
from the cnidoblasts or
cnidocytes.
Nucleus

Cnidoblast

Structure of the cnidoblast

Stinging action of cnidoblasts in jellyfish

• Cnidoblasts contain stinging capsules

known as nematocysts and a
Stinging paralysing toxin known as hypnotoxin.
thread
• When a prey approaches the
Human cnidarian, the cnidoblasts fire off and
skin
inject the hypnotoxin into the prey.
Trigger lid
• The paralysed prey is pulled into the
mouth.
Stinging cell
• Apart from capturing prey, cnidoblasts
Nucleus are also involved in:
- Defence
- Anchorage

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Habitat Symmetry
• Aquatic animals, mostly marine • Exhibit radial symmetry: Body can be divided
• Either sessile or free-living into two identical halves in any plane

Jellyfish (Free-living) Sea pen

(Sessile)

Radial symmetry in Hydra

Germ layer organisation

• Exhibit diploblastic organisation with two germ layers:
- Outer ectoderm layer
- Inner endoderm layer
• They also have an undifferentiated middle layer known as the mesoglea.

Undifferentiated Mesoglea
middle layer

Internal layer Endoderm

External layer Ectoderm

Diploblastic organisation of Cnidarians

Level of organisation
• Exhibit tissue level of organisation: Cells performing similar functions are grouped
into tissues. Tissues are not organised into organs.

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Epitheliomuscular
cells

Epidermis

Mesoglea

Gastrodermis

Muscle fibres Cnidocyte

Sensory
Gastrovascular cavity cell

Interstitial cell

Cross-section of Hydra

Tentacle

Epitheliomuscular
cell Cnidocyte
Endoderm Gland cell
Mesoglea
Ectoderm Food Vacuole

Interstitial cell Mesoglea

Endoderm Ectoderm
Organisation of the germ layers in Hydra

Feeding and Digestion

Tentacle
Digestive system/alimentary
canal is incomplete
• Digestive system has a single opening
Mouth
known as the hypostome which bears
the mouth.
Endoderm Gastrovascular
• The mouth opens to a hollow Mesoglea cavity (coelenteron)
gastrovascular cavity or the Ectoderm
‘coelenteron’ (Hence the name
‘Coelenterata’).
• Digestion:
- Intracellular Incomplete digestive system of Hydra
- Extracellular

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• The process of feeding and digestion can be summarised as follows:

Prey is captured
Mouth

Tentacles
Pulled into the body cavity through
the hypostome

Food

Food enters the gastrovascular cavity

Enzymes are secreted into the cavity

1. Digestive enzymes
released
Extracellular or
intracellular digestion

Cells lining the cavity absorb the nutrients

2. Food particles
broken down

Waste gets expelled through hypostome 3. Food particles

engulfed and
Epidermis digested

Gastrodermis

Feeding and digestion in cnidarians

Basic body forms of cnidarians

• Cnidarians show two basic body forms:

Body forms

Sessile and cylindrical polyp Free-living, umbrella-shaped medusa

Adamsia Aurelia

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Alternation of Generation or Metagenesis

• Some cnidarians remain in one form, either polyp or medusa, for their entire life cycle.
• Other cnidarians exist in both forms at different phases of their life cycle. This is
known as metagenesis or alternation of generation.
• During metagenesis:
- Polyps reproduce asexually by budding to form a large number of medusae.
- The medusae reproduce sexually to give rise to polyps by the production
of gametes.
• Metagenesis in Jellyfish and Obelia is depicted below:

Medusae reproduce
sexually 1 2
Eggs, sperm Larva forms
released

4 3
Larvae matures Larvae
to polyps settles on
hard
6 surface
Young jellyfish mature
into the medusa form

5
Polyps elongate Polyps reproduce
and bud off asexually by budding
Alternation of generation in jellyfish

Polyps reproduce asexually by Medusa reproduce

budding to form the medusa sexually
Medusae
Reproductive
Feeding polyp
Polyp Medusa buds Testis

Sperm
Tentacles
Zygote
Mouth Ovary
Egg

Blastula
Mature
polyp
Free-swimming
Obelia colony larva
Young polyp
attaches to a
substratum
Alternation of generation in Obelia

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Did you know?

Great Barrier Reef

Corals are made up of hundreds and thousands of individual coral polyps.

Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals.
The Great Barrier Reef is a large colony of corals which are visible from space!

Colonial Cnidarians

Some Cnidarians, like Physalia, come together to form large colonies.

Jellyfish Physalia
Single organism Colonial organism

Did you know?

World’s largest String of Coelenterates!

The World’s largest String of Coelenterates
is a long stretch of millions of jellyfish-like
invertebrates, found off the coast of Australia.
The structure is over 100 feet long!

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Symbiosis between the Clownfish and Sea anemone

Adaptations of the Benefits to the Benefits to the sea

clownfish and the clownfish anemone
sea anemone

• The clownfish is • A safe home that • The clownfish helps

protected by a thick protects it from in cleaning the sea
mucous layer. predators. anemone.
• As the clownfish • It scares away predatory
grows, it mixes fish such as the butterfly
its own mucous fish.
layer with that of • It provides nutrients in
the anemone for the form of waste.
protection.

Tentacles of the sea

anemone

Differences between Phylum Porifera and Phylum Cnidaria

Symmetry Segmentation Digestive Other

tract features

Porifera Absent Absent Mouth and • Porous body

(Sponges) anus absent • Attached to rocks
• Filter feeder

Cnidaria Radial Absent Mouth is • Stinging cells

(Corals, Jellyfish) present but • Tentacles
anus is absent

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Phylum Ctenophora

Kingdom Animalia

Porifera Ctenophora Aschelminthes Arthropoda Echinodermata Chordata

Coelenterata Platyhelminthes Annelida Mollusca Hemichordata

Characteristics of Phylum Ctenophora

Habitat
• Exclusively marine

Bioluminescent
• It is the property of a living organism to
emit light.

Pleurobrachia

Symmetry Germ layer organisation

• Exhibit radial symmetry • Exhibit diploblastic organisation with

two germ layers:
- Outer ectoderm layer
- Inner endoderm layer
They also have an undifferentiated
middle layer known as the mesoglea.

Mesoglea

Endoderm

Ectoderm

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Level of Organisation

• Exhibit tissue level of organisation

Head
Colloblasts
Adhesive bodies
Epidermal cells
Colloblasts

Endodermal cells
Cross-section of the tentacles

Tissue level organisation in Ctenophora

Pleurobrachia Ctenoplana

Comb plates

• Ctenophores have 8 external rows of • ‘Ctene’ = Comb in Greek; hence the name
ciliated comb plates. ‘Ctenophora’
• Comb plates are used for locomotion. • Ctenophores are also called ‘Comb jellies’

Anal canal
Cilia

Pharynx
Retractile
tentacle

Mouth
Ctenes/Comb plates

Comb plates in Pleurobrachia

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Feeding and Digestion

• Carnivorous - feed on other • Digestive system is complete with the

ctenophores and cnidarian jellies following components:
- Mouth
• Digestion is both extracellular and - Gut that extends through the
intracellular entire body
- Anal pore for removal of waste

Mouth

Intake

Distribution

Anal pore

Elimination

Complete digestive system of ctenophores

Reproduction in Ctenophores

• Only sexual reproduction

• They are hermaphrodites : Sexes are not separate; function as both males and females
• Show external fertilization: Egg and sperm are released into the water
• Development-Indirect
- Fertilised eggs develop through the larval stage and hatch into adults.

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Differences between Phylum Coelenterata and Phylum Ctenophora

Characteristics Coelenterata Ctenophora

Habitat Both marine and freshwater Exclusively marine

Diversity Highly diverse Less diverse

Body symmetry Radial Radial

Specialized cells Presence of cnidoblasts Presence of comb plates

and sticky cells known as
colloblasts to trap prey

Digestion Extracellular and intracellular Extracellular and intracellular

Digestive system Incomplete Complete

Bioluminescence Shown by few organisms Shown by many organisms

Phylum Platyhelminthes

Kingdom Animalia

Porifera Ctenophora Aschelminthes Arthropoda Echinodermata Chordata

Coelenterata Platyhelminthes Annelida Mollusca Hemichordata

• Includes flatworms like Fasciola, Planaria, Taenia, etc.

• Have a dorsoventrally flattened body, which means the body is flattened on both the
upper and lower surfaces.

Prostheceraeus roseus Taenia

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Characteristics of Phylum Platyhelminthes

Habitat
• Mostly endoparasites (Example: Flatworms)
• Some are free-living (Example: Planaria)

Parasites
These are organisms that live in or on a host organism and
derive their nutrients and take shelter from the host.

Ectoparasites Endoparasites
Live on the external Live inside the host in the
surface of the host body digestive tract, body cavities,
organs, and tissues of the host

E.g., Head
louse, an E.g., Tapeworm
insect, lives lives in the
in between intestine of
human hair humans

Symmetry Germ layer organisation

Exhibit bilateral symmetry They are triploblastic acoelomates
having three germ layers:
Plane of • Outermost ectoderm layer
symmetry • Innermost endoderm layer
• Middle mesoderm layer

Mesoderm

Endoderm
Liver fluke

Ectoderm

Level of Organisation Brain

Eye
Exhibit organ level of organisation
Intestine
Pharynx Mouth

Flatworm

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Bilateral Organ level

Platyhelminthes is the
symmetry of Triploblastic
first phylum to show
organisation

Absorption of nutrients from the host by endoparasitic platyhelminthes

Appendages present on endoparasites for deriving nutrients from the host are
given in the figure below:

Hooks allow the

organism to attach Hook
to the host.

Suckers absorb
nutrients from the Sucker
host.

Excretory organs in platyhelminthes

• Flame cell is a specialised excretory cell.

• They have a cluster of cilia, resembling a flickering flame ( Hence, ‘flame cells’ ).
• Flame cells come together to form a network.

Flame cell
Fluid Nucleus

Cilia Slit-like
openings
Collecting tube
Cilia

Excretory pore Flame cell

Excretory organs in flatworm

Process of waste removal

Fluid filters, through the The collecting tubules Waste is expelled from
cilia in the flame cell collect the waste the excretory pore

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Reproduction in Platyhelminthes

(a) Asexual reproduction in Planaria - Regeneration

Regeneration in Planaria is the process by which the
parent body breaks into fragments and each individual
fragment grows into a new organism.

Transverse
regeneration

Longitudinal
regeneration

Regeneration in Planaria

(b) Sexual reproduction in Planaria

• They are hermaphrodites - sexes are Fertilisation
not separate
• Testes and ovaries both are
present in the same organism
but they do not self-fertilise.
When mating, the organisms
exchange sperm and each Zygote
develops into
individual is fertilised by the new organisms
sperm from another individual.
• Fertilisation is internal.
• Indirect development with many
larval stages.
Stages of development in Planaria

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Phylum Aschelminthes

Kingdom Animalia

Porifera Ctenophora Aschelminthes Arthropoda Echinodermata Chordata

Coelenterata Platyhelminthes Annelida Mollusca Hemichordata

• Includes roundworms like Ascaris, Wuchereria, Ancylostoma, etc.

• Show high individual count and great species diversity
• Members of this phylum are also known as Nematodes.

Ancylostoma Wuchereria

Cross section of Ascaris shows the

round structure of the organism
(hence known as roundworms)

Ascaris

General characteristics

• Diverse habitat • Lifestyle

• Terrestrial - Mountains, deserts, Lifestyle
oceanic trenches
• Aquatic - Freshwater, marine
Parasitic Free-living

Infect terrestrial Live in soil and water.

and aquatic In aquatic ecosystems,
plants and they feed on algae
animals and are an important
part of the food chain.

E.g., Ascaris, E.g., C. elegans

Wuchereria
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Organ system level of organisation

They have the following organ systems: Aschelminthes is the first phylum
• Digestive system to show organ system level of
• Excretory system organisation.
• Reproductive system

Symmetry
• Bilaterally symmetrical
Germ layer organisation
• Triploblastic
• Pseudocoelomates - The coelom, or the body cavity, is not derived from the mesoderm.
Gut (endoderm)
Pseudocoelom Mesoderm
Ectoderm
Internal organs

Ectoderm
Digestive cavity
Mesoderm
Endoderm Pseudocoelom

Germ layer organisation and the pseudocoelom

Did you know?

Caenorhabditis elegans is a free-living soil nematode. It has

been extensively studied and researched and is probably
best understood animal on Earth.
It is the first animal to have its genome completely
sequenced. This is because C. elegans has many genes
similar to that of humans. Study on C. elegans has led to great
insight on animal development, neurobiology and behavior.

Caenorhabditis elegans

Digestive System
Pharynx Intestine

• The digestive system is complete, Mouth Anus

consisting of an alimentary canal that
opens with the mouth, has a muscular
pharynx and ends with an anus.
Digestive system of nematodes

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Excretory system

The excretory system consists of:

• An excretory tube: Removes wastes
from the body cavity.
• An excretory pore: Eliminates wastes
from the body.
Excretory pore Excretory tube

Excretory system of nematodes

Reproductive system

• Dioecious: Sexes are separate.

• Females are longer than males.
• Fertilisation is internal.
Male
Sperm duct

Copulatory spicule
Testis
Ovary

Vulva
Uterus
Female

Reproductive organs in male and female nematodes

Development

Direct Indirect

Young ones look the Young ones look different

same as the adults from adults

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Infectious nematodes

Disease Causative Source of infection Description

Nematode

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Ascariasis Ascaris • Ingestion of eggs Ascaris lives in the
lumbricoides • Unwashed intestine of the host.
hands/ fingernails Eggs are passed
• Unwashed or through the faeces of
uncooked fruits an infected person.
and vegetables

Ancylostomiasis Ancylostoma • Adult hookworms Hookworms live in

(Hookworm duodenale can penetrate the small intestine
infection) the feet of people of the host. Eggs
walking on are passed through
contaminated soil. the faeces of an
• Some forms can infected person.
also be
transmitted
through ingestion
of larvae.

Lymphatic Wuchereria Mosquito bites The parasite infects

filariasis bancrofti the lymphatic system
(Elephantiasis) causing the arms,
legs, and scrotum to
swell up.
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Differences and similarities between Platyhelminthes and Aschelminthes

Characteristics Platyhelminthes Aschelminthes

Body shape Dorsoventrally flattened Round

Symmetry Bilaterally symmetrical Bilaterally symmetrical

Level of Organ level Organ system level

organisation

Coelom Acoelomate Pseudocoelomate

Germ layers Triploblastic Triploblastic

Fertilisation Internal Internal

Developmental Indirect Direct and indirect

stages

Summary Sheet

Phylum Cnidaria (Coelenterata)

General characteristics

Level of organisation Tissue level

Germ layer organisation Diploblastic

Symmetry Radial

Life cycle Show alternation

of generation
between the polyp
and medusa form

Reproduction Sexual Jellyfish

Unique characteristics
• Presence of stinging cells called cnidoblasts
• Corals secrete calcium carbonate to form reefs

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Phylum Ctenophora
General characteristics

Level of organisation Tissue level

Germ layer organisation Diploblastic

Symmetry Radial

Reproduction Sexual

Pleurobrachia

Unique characteristics
• Presence of ciliated comb plates
• Exibit bioluminescence

Phylum Platyhelminthes (Flatworms)

General characteristics

Level of organisation Organ level

Germ layer organisation Triploblastic

Symmetry Bilateral

Coelom Acoelomate

Reproduction Asexual (Regeneration)

Sexual
Tapeworm

Unique characteristics
• Mostly endoparasites, only a few are free-living
• Presence of hooks and suckers
• Specialised excretory cells known as flame cells

First phylum to show bilateral symmetry, organ level of organisation, and

triploblastic condition

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Phylum Aschelminthes (Roundworms)

General characteristics

Level of organisation Organ system level

Germ layer organisation Triploblastic

Symmetry Bilateral

Coelom Pseudocoelomate

Reproduction Sexual

Life cycle Free-living, parasitic Wuchereria

Unique characteristics
• Well developed digestive, excretory, and reproductive systems
• Cause diseases like ancylostomiasis, lymphatic filariasis, etc.

First animals to show organ system level of organisation

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