Flatworm

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/flatworm

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Phylum Platyhelminthes
2. What is the evolutionary significance?Considered basal bilaterians, providing insights into early animal body plan evolution
3. What are flatworms?Flatworms are tiny, flat animals that move by slithering. They belong to a group called Platyhelminthes and can live in water or on land.
4. Where can flatworms be found?Flatworms live in many places, like oceans, rivers, ponds, and even on land. Some live freely, while others live inside other animals as parasites.

Basal Bilaterians: Early diverging animal groups exhibiting bilateral symmetry and three germ layers.
Acoelomate: An animal lacking a true body cavity (coelom), with tissues filling the space between organs.
Neoblasts: Totipotent stem cells found in flatworms, enabling remarkable tissue regeneration and repair.
Protonephridia: A primitive excretory organ system found in many invertebrates, including flatworms, for osmoregulation.