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Biology LibreTexts

31.1: Introduction

  • Page ID
    105962
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    We will be using Daphnia magna to explore basic principles of animal physiology. Daphnia is a genus of small crustaceans in the phylum Arthropoda. They are a good model organism for the study of animal physiology as we can see some organs and their functions under a microscope.

    Female adult daphnia with eggs

    Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Female adult Daphnia magna with eggs. Attribution: "Female adult of the water flea Daphnia magna by Hajime Watanabe(opens in new window)" by dullhunk(opens in new window) is licensed under CC BY 2.0(opens in new window).

    Female adult Daphnia magna with eggs. Attribution: "Female adult of the water flea Daphnia magna by Hajime Watanabe(opens in new window)" by dullhunk(opens in new window) is licensed under CC BY 2.0(opens in new window).

    Among the organs visible in the Daphnia is the heart, located on the dorsal surface of the animals' body. Crustaceans, like other arthropods, have an open circulatory system, where the heart pumps blood into open sinuses throughout body. While the baseline heart rate is established by autorhythmic cells in the heart, it can be affected by a variety of environmental factors.


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