NAME: Grace Cooper

CLASS: 3
rd
Science
DATE: 1-22-14
PLANARIA LAB REPORT

PROBLEM: If trisected, which piece of a planarian will regenerate first?

HYPOTHESIS: If trisected, then the head will regenerate first.

THEORY:

Planaria are flatworms that reproduce sexually. When Planaria reproduces
they will make a new offspring, with different genes within the Planaria body, as
well with any other reproducing organism. Although Planaira are hermaphrodites
they have both male and female gonads (eggs). When they produce sexually the
exchange sperm and an egg. Since they both have male and female gonads,
each Planaria will be carrying their offspring.

Along with sexual reproduction, Planaria can reproduce asexually. When a
Planaria is reproducing asexually there are two ways it can be done. The first
name of producing asexually is cloning. One is the end of the tail will use all it
mussels to attach to a rock or any thing to stick on to. Next the rest of the body is
moving forward while the tail is staying put. The tail detaches from the rest of the
body making two incomplete Planaria. The neoblasts (stem cells) get signal that
there is a missing the part. The neoblasts migrate to the wound forming a
blastma. After reproducing asexually there will be an exact copy of the Planaria
(a clone). Also usually Planaria would reproduce asexually when the environment
is not ideal.

Planaria reproduce asexually by regeneration. 30% of cells in a Planaria
are neoblasts (stem cells). Once the Planaria has reproduced asexually the
regenerating begins. The neoblasts get a signal a move to the wound
regenerating the missing part. I hypothesized that the head on the Planaria would
regenerate first. My hypothesis was correct. The head regenerated first because
all of the protein that the Planaria has been eating will move into the upper body
which has regenerated first.