14.5: Introduction to Phylum Cnidaria
- Page ID
- 44035
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Identify the common characteristics of phylum Cnidaria
Cnidarians represent a more complex level of organization than Porifera. They possess outer and inner tissue layers that sandwich a noncellular mesoglea. Cnidarians possess a well-formed digestive system and carry out extracellular digestion. The cnidocyte is a specialized cell for delivering toxins to prey as well as warning off predators. Cnidarians have separate sexes and have a lifecycle that involves morphologically distinct forms. These animals also show two distinct morphological forms—medusoid and polypoid—at various stages in their lifecycle.
What You’ll Learn to Do
- Identify common structural and organization characteristics of the phylum Cnidaria
- Identify the features of animals classified in class Anthozoa
- Identify the features of animals classified in class Scyphozoa
- Identify the features of animals classified in class Cubozoa
- Identify the features of animals classified in class Hydrozoa
Learning Activities
The learning activities for this section include the following:
- Characteristics of Phylum Cnidaria
- Classes in the Phylum Cnidaria
- Self Check: Phylum Cnidaria
Contributors and Attributions
CC licensed content, Original
- Introduction to Phylum Cnidaria. Authored by: Shelli Carter and Lumen Learning. Provided by: Lumen Learning. License: CC BY: Attribution
CC licensed content, Shared previously
- Biology. Provided by: OpenStax CNX. Located at: http://cnx.org/contents/185cbf87-c72e-48f5-b51e-f14f21b5eabd@10.8. License: CC BY: Attribution. License Terms: Download for free at http://cnx.org/contents/185cbf87-c72...f21b5eabd@10.8