5 interesting facts about coelenterates. General characteristics of intestinal, lifestyle, structure, role in nature. One of the oldest and simplest organisms

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The paper presents interesting facts from the life of various groups of animals. I hope that the use of this information will make the lesson more interesting when studying the course "Zoology". This information can be of interest to students, become an incentive in the study of biology: find interesting information about animals and provide them in the form of creative work in the form of messages or presentations.

The selection of material is made on the basis of information from the Internet, as well as from popular science literature. 1. Teremov A., Rokhlov V. Entertaining zoology. AstPress, 2002. 2. Records of nature. comp. Makarova N.E. Minsk. Modern writer. 2001

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MOST - THE MOST… INTERESTING ANIMALS

SIMPLE (SINGLE-CELLULAR)

The best…

The biggest from ever-existing single-celled organisms - sea rhizomes of foraminifera. The calcareous shells of these protozoa, which lived more than 70 million years ago, reached a diameter of 22 cm.

The fastest of the protozoa, a representative of the flagellated monas stigmatica is considered. This unicellular organism can cover a distance 40 times the length of its body in 1 second (if a person moved at such a speed, then in a second he would overcome an average of about 66 meters with a height of 165 cm).

This is interesting…

1. In one tablespoon of sea sand, there are 100 - 200 thousand shells of dead marine unicellular rhizomes - foraminifers.
2. The empty shells of dead sea rhizomes, accumulating over millions of years, formed thick layers of calcareous (sedimentary) rocks. Ordinary school chalk is a cluster of small shells of marine unicellular animals.
3. In one cubic centimeter of the contents of the stomach of a cow, there are up to a million special unicellular ciliates that ensure the digestion of the hard cell membranes of plants. The total mass of ciliates inhabiting the stomach of one cow reaches 3 kg.
4. At rest (cysts), protozoa remain viable for more than 16 years.
5. The offspring of one ciliate - shoes for the year could be (subject to the survival of all descendants) 75 10 individuals! A hollow ball touching the Sun with one side and the Earth with the other (the distance from the Sun to the Earth is 170 million km) could contain so many ciliates.
6. In the digestive system of termite insects that feed on wood, protozoa live, which help termites digest the hard shells of plant cells.

COELENTERATES

The best…

The largest coelenterates is an arctic jellyfish cyanide capillata that lives in the northwestern part of the Atlantic Ocean. One of the representatives of this species, washed ashore during a storm, had a bell diameter of 2.28 m, and its tentacles were 36.5 m long.

most dangerous coralzoantaria Palythoa, stinging cells contain polytoxin - the most potent poison of all studied; 0.01 mg of this poison is capable of killing an adult mouse.

The longest tentaclesin furrowed anemone, with a diameter of 1.5 m.

The most poisonous jellyfishAustralian sea wasp and chiropsalmus jellyfish. The poison secreted by chiropsalmus acts almost instantly; if a person is not provided with medical assistance, death occurs in 5-8 minutes.

The most dangerous coelenterates is the Australian box jellyfish sea wasp. It is considered the most poisonous animal in the world. Its poison paralyzes and stops the work of the human heart for 1 to 3 minutes.

largest coral reef(a colony of tiny coelenterates forming a protective calcareous skeleton around itself) is the Great Barrier Reef on the northeast coast of Australia. Its length is 2027 km, width - 72 km, and the total area - 207 square km.

This is interesting…

1. The venom of the physalia jellyfish resembles the venom of a cobra in its action.
2. From 1/200 of a damaged hydra, a new organism can be grown.
3. The maximum swimming speed of jellyfish is 55 km / h.
4. Many jellyfish have an exorbitant appetite. So, one Black Sea aurelia with a bell diameter of 50 cm absorbs about 10 fry per hour (1 fry in 6 minutes).
5. The body of most jellyfish is formed by a gelatinous mass (mesogley), consisting of 98% water and a small amount of collagen protein, which in humans is part of the skin.
6. In ancient and medieval times, red coral, mined in the Mediterranean, was valued much more than precious stones such as emeralds or rubies.

WORMS

The best…

The longest of all the worms, the nemertine, a marine polychaete worm, is considered to live in the seas of the North-West Atlantic. The worm, thrown out as a result of a storm in 1864 off the coast of Scotland, was about 55 meters long.with a diameter of only 1 cm.

The biggest a species among earthworms, or earthworms, is an Australian earthworm, reaching almost 3 m in length with a diameter of 2.5 cm.

This is interesting…

SHELLS

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The least commonare considered molluscs from the group of brachiopods, or armopods. Only 280 species are known to science, and all of them are extremely rare.

The largest marine gastropodthe trumpeter, found off the coast of Australia in 1979, had a shell 77.2 cm long and 1.01 m in circumference. Its live weight reached almost 18 kg.

The most poisonous gastropodfrom the family of cones, cone-geographer. Mollusk venom can kill a person.

The largest bivalve mollusktriactic. In 1956, a specimen measuring 1.15 m and weighing 333 kg was found off the coast of Japan. In live form, he probably had a mass of just over 340 kg.

The largest eyehas a giant Atlantic octopus. The record specimen was discovered off the coast of Canada in 1878. The diameter of his eye was 50 cm.

CRUSTACEANS

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the largest of all crustaceans, the giant Japanese crab macroheira, which is also called the crab on stilts, is considered. Adult representatives of this species have claws with a span of 3.5 m. Such specimens weigh about 18 kg.

The lowest pressurein lobster, which reaches 8 mm Hg.

The largest crustaceantaka-ashi-gani, or giant spider crab, claw sizes reach up to 3.7 m, and weigh up to 19 kg.

The heaviest marine crustaceanNorth American lobster weighing up to 20 kg and more than 1 m long was caught in 1977 off the coast of Canada.

the heaviest the crustacean is the American, or North Atlantic, lobster. In 1977, a lobster was caught in Canada weighing 20.15 kg and measuring over 1 m in length.

The smallest crustacean - water flea. Its body length is less than 0.25 mm. It lives in the waters of the UK.

The longest-livedamong crustaceans are American lobsters, especially large specimens live up to 50 years.

This is interesting…

1. The blood (hemolymph) of crustaceans is colorless in many cases. But in some, for example, in decapods, which include crayfish, the blood is blue. This is due to the presence in it of the pigment hemocyanin containing copper. In other crustaceans, the blood, just like in humans and other mammals, is colored red by the pigment hemoglobin, which contains iron.
2. Male barnacles have spermatozoa up to 6 mm long. This exceeds the length of the animal itself by 10 times and is an absolute record in the animal kingdom.
3. The chitinous shell of crustaceans is impregnated with calcium carbonate (lime). Such a hard outer skeleton prevents the growth of the animal, so periodically the cancer sheds the old cover (molts). During molting, while the new chitinous cover has not yet hardened, the animal is actively growing. A freshly molted crayfish usually eats the discarded old tight cover in order to make up for the lack of lime and make the new cover more durable.

arachnids

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The biggest representative of arachnids - tropical spider - tarantula living in the north-east of South America. Caught in 1965, the male of this species had a limb span of 28 cm. The female, caught in 1985 in Suriname, weighed 122.2 g.

The fastest spiderslong-legged solar spiders, developing speeds of over 16 km / h.

The noisiest spiderthe European buzzing spider makes a buzzing sound audible to the human ear, and the purring spider makes sounds reminiscent of a cat's purr.

The largest among scorpionsis considered to be an imperial scorpion that lives in Equatorial Guinea. Adult specimens of this species, which are black in color, weigh up to 60 kg.

underground scorpionAlacran tartarus has been found in caves over 800m deep.

The smallest representative of spidersis a spider native to Western Samoa. Its body size is only 0.43mm, which is the size of a typographic dot.

The fastest among arachnids - long-legged salpugs living in Africa. Some salpugs at short distances can reach speeds of up to 16 km / h.

The largest trapping netweaver spiders build from the web: the circumference of their network is about 6 m.

The simplest webthe American spider has a bolas that uses a single thread

The strongest threadin Achaearenea tepidariorum, capable of catching a small mouse, which at the same time hovering above the ground.

The most poisonousConsidered to be Brazilian "stray" spiders, they secrete a strong nerve-paralytic venom. These large aggressive spiders often enter homes and hide in clothes and shoes. When disturbed, they bite several times in a row. The Central Asian karakurt spider, called the black death, also gained a very bad reputation, it is also very poisonous.

This is interesting…

1. The arachnoid glands of spiders open on the abdomen with arachnoid warts and secrete several varieties of cobwebs - dry, wet, sticky, corrugated, etc. Different varieties of cobwebs serve different purposes - making a trapping net, a living house, an egg cocoon.
2. The thread produced by spiders is very strong: the breaking load for the web is from 40 to 261 kg per 1 square millimeter of section. Steel wire of the same diameter is less durable than cobwebs.
3. Accurate studies of American scorpion venom have shown that 0.0003 mg of this venom per 1 g of mouse weight is a lethal dose. When stinging, the scorpion injects much more poison into the victim - more than 3 mg. This amount of poison can kill mice with a total weight of 10 kg.
4. A dog tick sucking blood weighs 223 times more than a hungry one. A bull tick in 3 weeks, while it develops from a larva into an adult arachnid, sucks out so much blood that it increases its weight by 10,000 times.
5. One scientist, observing the activity of a weaver spider, recorded the speed of the production of a cobweb thread - 180 cm per minute - and extracted about 140 m of cobwebs.
6. The proboscis of blood-sucking mites has a special apparatus of hooks pointing backwards. These hooks act as a holding anchor, allowing the mite to attach firmly to the host's skin. Simultaneously with the introduction into the skin of the proboscis, the tick injects saliva containing ixodine, a substance that prevents blood clotting, into the wound. In the same way, various infections are transmitted into the circulatory system of the host organism.
7. Scientists have found that the web thread produced by spiders carries a small negative electrical discharge. Spiders need webs for more than just hunting. So, young spiders settle in nature, planning on cobweb threads and flying huge distances. At the same time, air travelers in flight never collide with each other, their webs do not touch when landing. This is due to the electrostatic repulsive forces of the same (negatively) charged webs.

INSECTS

The best…

The most prolificOf the multicellular animals on the planet, insects are considered. So, it is estimated that under favorable conditions, the mass of the offspring of only one female of the cabbage white butterfly per year can be 822 million tons, which is 3 times the weight of the entire population of our planet.

The largest termitesMacrotermes goliaph reaches a length of 2.2 cm with a wingspan of 8.8 cm.

The largest grasshopper of the CIS countriessteppe dybka 7.5 cm long.

The most gluttonousOn the planet, insects are also considered animals. So the caterpillar of one of the butterflies of North America in the first 48 hours of life absorbs an amount of food that is 86 thousand times its own weight.

The most greedy insectthe caterpillar of the polyphemus butterfly, in the first 56 days of life, absorbs food, the volume of which exceeds the weight of the caterpillar by 86 thousand times.

the strongest among the animals are insects: tests have shown that the rhinoceros beetle can hold on its back a weight 850 times its own. The forest dung beetle is capable of moving a load 400 times its own weight.

The largest clustersin one place form insects. According to one American scientist who observed a swarm of locusts, the area occupied by it was 514,374 square kilometers. Presumably, it contained up to 12.5 trillion locusts, and its total weight was at least 25 million tons.

The most dangerous Animals on our planet are considered to be malarial mosquitoes that carry the causative agents of malaria - single-celled protozoan malarial plasmodia. From malaria, in the entire history of mankind since the Stone Age, half of the entire population of the Earth has died. Even today, more than 200 million people a year suffer from malaria.

The largest and heaviestamong insects, goliath beetles are considered to live in Equatorial Africa. The weight of adult males of the royal goliath reaches 100 g, and the length is 11 cm.

The longest Insects in the world are giant stick insects from Indonesia. Females of this species reach a length of 33 cm. The longest beetle (excluding the length of the antennae) is the Hercules beetle that lives in Central and South Africa. Its body length is 19 cm.

the biggest in the world, the diurnal butterfly is the Alexandra birdwing, found in New Guinea. Females of this species have a wingspan of more than 28 cm. The largest nocturnal moth is considered a rare scoop agrippina from Brazil, whose wingspan reaches more than 30 cm.

The smallest The butterfly in the world is considered to be a moth that lives in the Canary Islands: its wingspan is about 2 mm.

The highest speedflight among insects develop dragonflies. So, the Australian dragonfly can reach speeds of up to 60 km / h for a short time. Tropical cockroaches run faster than all other insects. A cockroach about 3 cm long moves at a speed of 120-130 cm / s (that is, in a second it covers a distance more than 40 times the length of its body).

The most acute sense of smellhave male imperial moth butterflies, which can smell the female at a distance of 11 km against the wind. It was found that the smell is emitted by a special substance secreted by the female in a negligible amount - 0.0001 mg.

This is interesting…

1. Dragonfly wings have special thickenings at the ends. These thickenings eliminate the harmful vibration of the wings that occurs during flight - flutter. The elimination of flutter in modern high-speed aircraft was achieved in a similar way - by thickening the leading edge of the wing.
2. Extinct ancient dragonflies that lived more than 200 million years ago were of enormous size: their wingspan reached 90 cm.
3. The songs of crickets, locusts and grasshoppers are a chirring that occurs due to the friction of one part of the body against another. Some species of these insects have a row of tubercles on the inner side of the thighs of the hind legs. The sound is produced when the raised leg rubs its tubercles against the forewings.
4. The compound eyes of insects consist of many separate simple eyes - ommatidia, or facets. The number of simple eyes depends on the activity of the insect and its lifestyle: for example, in a dragonfly, which is a predator, each eye contains 20-30 thousand facets, in a fly - 4000, in a butterfly - 1700, in an ant - 1200. Any moving object consistently enters the field vision of each simple eye, so the insect can accurately determine the speed of a moving object. Based on these features of ommatidia, a device was designed that could instantly measure the speed of aircraft. Traffic police officers (GAI) have the same devices - radars that measure the speed of a car.
5. These blood-sucking flies appear only with the onset of autumn. They bite painfully. Some believe that these are ordinary house flies, which become so evil by autumn. In fact, these are completely different flies and they are called zhigalki.
6. At the slightest danger, the bombardier beetle releases a caustic hot substance from the holes located on its abdomen, the temperature of which reaches + 100 degrees. At the same time, a loud bang is heard. The abdomen of the beetle is very mobile and it can "shoot bursts".

FISHES

The best…

The largest marine fishIt is considered a plankton-eating whale shark that lives in the warm waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The exact dimensions of one of the whale sharks caught were: 12.65 m in length and 7 m in girth of the thickest part of the body. The weight of this fish reached 15 tons.

The densest skinCalifornian and Mediterranean moray eels possess, which cannot be cut with a knife or pierced with a hammer, a bullet does not pierce.

The largest marine predatory fishis a white shark carcharadon, often called a shark - cannibal or white death. Adult fish of this species reach an average length of 4.5 m with a weight of 520 - 770 kg. However, there were cases when even larger specimens came across. So, off the coast of Cuba, a female white shark was caught, almost 6.5 m long and weighing 3310 kg. The liver of this shark alone weighed 456 kg.

The largest bony fishis considered an ordinary oar king, common in almost all seas and oceans. In 1963, American scientists from the Sandy Hook Marine Laboratory saw a fish that was more than 15 m long. Presumably, it could weigh about 500 kg.

The most cruel fishsharp-toothed piranhas that attack any creature that is wounded or struggling in the water.

Most Powerful Bitebelongs to the dark shark, which has developed a force of 60 kg, which is equivalent to a pressure on the tips of the teeth of 3 tons / cm2.

The heaviest among bony fishthe moon is widespread in all oceans - a fish, often swimming on its side. Near the coast of Australia, a fish 4.3 m long and weighing 2235 kg was caught.

the most prolificamong the fish, the moon is also considered a fish. For one spawning, females spawn up to 300 million eggs. However, during the next year, less than 1% of juveniles survive from this number of eggs. The rest die, eaten by a variety of aquatic predators.

The most acute sense of smellin sharks, capable of detecting the presence of one part of mammalian blood in 100 million parts of water.

The largest freshwaterEuropean catfish is considered a fish. So, in the 19th century, catfish were caught in the rivers of Russia, the length of which was 4.6 m, and the weight reached 340 kg.

The fastest among the fish, the Pacific sailboat is considered. At short distances, this fish with a xiphoid outgrowth on its head and a high dorsal fin can reach speeds of up to 109 km / h. Slightly inferior to the sailboat is bluefin tuna, capable of reaching speeds of up to 104 km / h.

longest livedThe fish is the Japanese koi fish, a type of mirror carp. It is known that the age of a fish can be determined by the number of age rings on the scales (just like the age of a tree - by the number of growth rings). So, in a koi that lived in one of the ponds in Japan, the number of age rings on the scales corresponded to 228 years.

The most poisonous fish in the worldIt is considered a wart that lives in the tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. She has the largest poisonous glands among fishes, opening with ducts on the needles of her fins. The poison contains the substance tetrodotoxin, which has a nerve-paralytic effect. Touching the fins of this fish is fatal to humans. Death occurs within a few minutes from respiratory and cardiac arrest. Interestingly, a fish closely related to the wart - fugu - is eaten in Japan. True, every cook who wants to cook dishes from this fish must receive a diploma from a special school and pass an exam in which he himself must eat the fish he has cooked.

This is interesting…

1. It is known that buoyancy, that is, the ability to effortlessly stay in the water column, is the most important feature of most fish. But it is achieved in different ways: bone fish have a swim bladder, cartilaginous fish (sharks and rays) accumulate fat reserves in the liver and other organs and tissues of the body, which lowers the density of the body of the fish in relation to the density of water.
2. The Nile pike is capable of creating electrical discharges with a frequency of up to 300 pulses / s.
3. There are more than 40 species of flying fish. Among them, longfins and flyers are most often found - small fish with a body length of 20 to 50 cm.
4. The muscular system of electric fish - torpedo rays, electric eels, Nile pike, etc. - generates biological electricity. Each such "electric battery" consists of 400,000 - 1,000,000 "elements". Fish have an electric charge of sufficiently high power and strength. So the average representative of the electric eel can give an electric charge of 400 volt-amperes. There were cases when especially large specimens of eels produced a current of 650 volt-amperes.
5. In 1961, the English ship Leopold was rammed by a swordfish. The ship's steel plating was pierced and leaked heavily. The sailors had to call a rescue aircraft with an emergency team. In the past, ships in England were even insured against attack by living swords.
6. The expression "dumb as a fish" is far from the truth. Fish squeak, wheeze, clatter, chirp - a whole cacophony of sounds can be heard with the help of special devices. The most "talkative" fish is the trigla, or gurnard. With the help of the swim bladder, she makes sharp sounds similar to grunting or snoring.
7. The extinct ancestors of the white shark, or man-eating shark, who lived in the ancient seas more than 70 million years ago, reached a length of 30 m. The teeth of these fossil sharks were up to 13 cm long, and a car could easily fit in the open jaws.
8. It is estimated that one tiger shark can grow, use and shed up to 24,000 teeth in 10 years.
9. The shark can smell blood, even if 1 g of blood is dissolved in 1000 liters of water.

Amphibians, or amphibians

The best…

The largest amphibian- gigantic salamander. This is a very rare animal that lives in the mountain rivers and streams of South China. It reaches a length of 1.6 m and can weigh over 30 kg. For example, a salamander caught in Huan province was 1.8 m long and weighed 65 kg.

longest frog jumpbelongs to the African moor frog. In the frog competition in 1977, she made a 10.3 m jump.

The largest toad- yeah, living in Central and South America. It reaches a length of 25 cm and a width of 12 cm and can weigh more than 1 kg.

The smallest toadon Earth, the Brazilian two-toed toad is considered - its length is only 1 cm.

The largest of the green frogslake frog, reaching more than 15 cm, living in Germany and France. This is the same frog that the French eat.

The largest of all frog species- African goliath, which can be up to 40 cm long and can weigh up to 3 kg.

The smallest frog in the world- a dwarf frog that lives in Cuba, it barely reaches 12 mm in length.

The strongest poisonsecreted by the skin glands - batrachotoxin - the frog has a terrible leaf climber (cocoi), its length is only 2-3 cm, and it weighs no more than 1 g. It lives in the western part of Colombia. With the poison of this frog, local Indians lubricate arrowheads. An animal wounded by such an arrow becomes paralyzed and dies. The secretions of the skin glands of the cocoi frog are 20 times stronger than the poison of other poisonous frogs and can freely penetrate through the pores of human skin. It is the most powerful non-protein poison known today. On average, one frog contains so much poison that it is enough to kill 1,500 people, and 30 mg of the poison of this frog is enough to kill 30,000 mice. Dried poison remainsdeadly for 15 years, it is 10 times stronger than the poison of puffer fish.

The most poisonous amphibians in our countrydifferent types of toads are considered: gray, green, reed. The skin of toads contains many poisonous glands, among which two large parotid glands stand out. The poison of these glands, when squeezed, can be thrown out to a distance of up to 1 m. When it comes into contact with human skin, it causes burning and redness of the skin, but not the appearance of warts.

REPTILES, or REPTILES

The best…

The largest reptileconsidered combed crocodile living in Indonesia and Australia. Adult crocodiles of this species have an average length of 4.5 m and weigh about 500 kg. Once a crocodile 8.6 m long and weighing more than 1 ton was killed.

The most ferocious dinosaurVelociraptor, sharp teeth and claws tore through any prey with ease.

The largest flying dinosaurswere quetzalcoatlia, the wingspan was 12 m.

The dumbest dinosaurstegosaurus, the brain was the size of a walnut and weighed 70 g, with a length of 9 m.

largest dinosaur clawswere in Therizinosaurus, the length of the outer bend of the Therizinosaurus claw reached 91 cm.

The largest lizardis a kabaragoya monitor lizard living in New Guinea: its length is 4.8 m along with the tail. It competes with the Komodo monitor lizard from the Indonesian islands of Komodo. The largest specimen of this monitor lizard reached a length of 3 m and weighed 166 kg.

The longest lizardSalvadoran or Papuan monitor lizard, reaching a length of 4.75, the length of the tail is 70% of its total length.

The most dangerous lizardsgila-tooth, gila monster and escorpion living in Mexico.

The largest sea turtleconsidered a leatherback turtle that lives in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The length of adult turtles from the head to the tip of the tail is about 2 m, the weight reaches more than 450 kg. Record weight - 865 kg, length - 2.5 m.

The largest land tortoiseis a gigantic, or elephant, turtle from the Seychelles - its weight reaches 300 kg.

The smallest turtlethe land motley turtle has a shell only 6-9 cm long, and the sea turtle has an Atlantic ridley, 50-70 cm long.

The deepest turtle divemade in 1987 by a leatherback turtle equipped with sensors, diving to a depth of 1200 m in the waters off the Virgin Islands.

The largest of all types of snakes- anaconda, or water boa: the average length of an adult anaconda is 5.5-6 m. The record is a length of 8.5 m, weight - 230 kg, in girth the body of this snake had 110 cm.

The largest venomous snake- King cobra, reaching a length of 5-6 m. Its poison can kill an elephant. Baby cobras can kill as soon as they hatch from their eggs.

The fastest snakemamba. The speed of its movement reaches more than 11 km / h

The longest snake fangshas a poisonous Gaboon viper from tropical Africa, reaches a length of 5 cm.

The most venomous land snakeis a smooth-headed snake native to Australia. 110 mg of this snake's venom is enough to kill 125,000 mice.

The most dangerous species of crocodiles for humans- a large Indo-Pacific, or saltwater crocodile. Every year, crocodiles of this species kill up to a thousand people.

The longest living reptile, apparently, is a land giant Seychellois tortoise. There are cases when turtles of this species lived in captivity for more than 150 years.

This is interesting…

1. A small amount of cobra venom has an analgesic effect and can be used as a substitute for morphine for people suffering from cancer. At the same time, unlike morphine, snake venom acts for a longer time, does not cause side effects and addiction of the body. Viper venom is successfully used as a hemostatic agent and is used in the treatment of hemophilia (hereditary blood incoagulability).
2. Gecko lizards can walk freely on nearly vertical walls and ceilings, which is why they are sometimes referred to as anti-gravity lizards. It turns out that on the soles of the feet of geckos there are 18-25 rows of tiny sticks-suction cups. When the lizard puts its foot on the support, air is squeezed out of the suction cups under the weight of the animal and a vacuum is formed. There are more than 1,000 of these sticks on each gecko foot.
3. There is an interesting pattern: the hungrier a poisonous snake is, the faster its victim dies when bitten, since a hungry snake releases more poison. For poison is altered saliva, and the poisonous glands are nothing but the parotid salivary glands.
4. Recently, scientists have found out the cause of the famous "crocodile tears", which serve to remove excess salts that have entered the body along with food and water.
5. Animals have different sensitivities to snake venom. The hedgehog is the least susceptible to it - it will withstand a dose of poison 40 times greater than a guinea pig. The same dose of rattlesnake venom can kill 10 snakes, 24 dogs, 25 bulls, 60 horses, 6,000 rabbits, 8,000 rats, 20,000 mice, and 300,000 pigeons.
6. In the collared cobra, sometimes called the spitting cobra, the venom is so strong that if it enters the eyes of mammals and humans, it causes blindness for several days.
7. Snake venom is a truly strong cocktail of various proteins and enzymes. It has a destructive effect on living tissue, but does not play any role in digestion. The formula of the venom varies from snake to snake, but the most common poisons usually contain: a component to paralyze the nervous system, a component to stop the heart, which disrupts blood flow, as well as other components, some of which destroy the proteins of the victim's tissues, others are the cause the formation of blood clots (blood clots) that clog blood vessels and stop the movement of blood, others cause extensive internal hemorrhages.
8. Since snakes cannot bite off pieces and chew food, they swallow it whole. In snakes, the jaws are connected by movable elastic ligaments, thanks to such a movable connection, the snake can move its jaws and open its mouth so wide that it swallows prey several times larger than itself. The teeth of the snakes are directed inward and this ensures that the prey slides in the right direction. In addition, snakes produce a huge amount of saliva to wet the prey and make it easier to slide down the esophagus.
9. When studying the development of alligators, scientists found that at a temperature of +32 degrees, mostly females hatched from eggs, and at temperatures above +33.5 degrees, more males appeared. The same pattern is observed in the development of some turtles.
10. Some species of snakes, including rattlesnakes and pit vipers, detect prey by infrared radiation from its body. Under the eyes they have sensitive cells that detect the slightest changes in temperature, up to fractions of a degree, and thus orient the snakes to the location of the victim. This highly sensitive device allows the snake to locate its prey in complete darkness.
11. For snakes, the senses of taste and smell are very important. The quivering forked tongue, which some people think of as a "snake's sting," actually collects traces of various substances quickly disappearing into the air and carries them to sensitive depressions on the inside of the mouth, where a special device is located connected to the olfactory nerves.

BIRDS

The best…

largest flightless bird- common ostrich, which is found in Central Ethiopia and Niger. Some males of this species reach 2.74 cm in height and weigh 156.5 kg.

largest flying bird- African bustard. Hunters shot birds that weighed about 20 kg. The mute swan can also reach a significant weight - up to 22.5 kg.

Largest wingspanhas a wandering albatross found in the southern hemisphere. The wingspan of these birds reaches 3.6 m. Another bird with an average wingspan of 3.3 m is the African marabou. So, in Central Africa, a male of this species with a wingspan of 4 m was shot.

The smallest bird in the worldis a bee hummingbird that lives in Cuba: adult males reach a length of 5.7 cm, with half of this length falling on the beak and tail. These little ones weigh about 1.5 g.

Highest flying speedthe peregrine falcon develops: its speed in diving for prey can be 350 km / h. In horizontal flight, ducks and geese have the highest speed: it approaches 100 km / h.

Longest and deepest diveshowing emperor penguins. According to scientists, they can dive to a depth of 265 m and stay under water for about 20 minutes.

The sharpest visionin birds of prey. The golden eagle sees a hare in good light at a distance of 4.2 km. A peregrine falcon spots a dove at a distance of 8 km. However, the vision of birds of prey is black and white, they do not perceive color.

The largest nestsbuild bald eagles living in the United States. One day, a nest almost 3 m wide and 6 m high was found. The weight of the nest, obviously, exceeded 2 tons. It is possible that several generations of birds took part in the construction of such a nest over several years. The incubation mounds erected by weed hens in Australia are up to 4.6 m high and 10.5 m wide. The weight of such a nest is more than 300 tons.

This is interesting…

1. Weed chickens living in Australia, unlike other birds, do not warm their eggs with the heat of their bodies, but hatch their chicks in "incubators" - they bury their eggs in mounds of sun-warmed soil and rotting plants. These mounds, and sometimes they can reach very impressive sizes, are raked by chickens on their own with their paws. Birds manage to maintain a temperature of + 33 degrees inside such structures, despite the vagaries of the weather. The hatched chicks dig their way to the surface.
2. Egg white albumin is used for poisoning with salts of heavy metals, especially mercury and copper. It forms insoluble compounds with these metals, which delays their absorption into the body and, in combination with emetics, allows you to quickly rid the body of the poison.
3. The flight of birds, in comparison with other methods of movement of animals, is more economical than walking or running. Large birds for the same flight distance expend even less energy than a jet liner.

MAMMALS, or Beasts

The best…

The largest and heaviest mammal in the worldis a blue whale, the recorded length of the largest blue whale is 33.6 m. Another whale, caught in Antarctica, was 27.6 m long and weighed 190 tons. The weight of the animal’s tongue was 4.3 tons, and the heart was about 700 kg .

The fastest marine mammal- killer whale, capable of speeds up to 55 km / h.

The slowest of mammalsis a three-toed sloth native to South America. On the ground, it moves at a speed of 1.5 - 2.5 m / min. On trees, it is somewhat faster - in a minute it overcomes a distance of about 5 m.

Deepest Divehas been reported in sperm whales. The depth to which this species of whale can dive is over 2500 m. Once, a sperm whale was killed off the coast of Australia, which surfaced after diving for about two hours. Two small sharks living at the bottom were found in his stomach. And the depth of the ocean in this place reached 3200 m.

longest sleepnoted in a ground squirrel living in Alaska. She sleeps 9 months a year. For the remaining 3 months, this rodent eats, brings offspring and stores food in its hollow.

Longest gestation periodin the Asian elephant - from 610 to 760 days (more than 2 years).

The fattest milkamong mammals, female sperm whales have: it contains up to 54% fat. For one feeding, the kitten receives 15-20 buckets of thick, like sour cream, milk. Feeding lasts 13 months from the moment of his birth.

The largest representative of the order of predatoryconsidered to be a polar bear. The average weight of males of this species is 380-410 kg with a body length of 2.5 m. Once a bear was killed in Alaska, weighing more than a ton (1000 kg), its length from the tip of the fashion to the tail was 3.4 m.

The smallest representative of the order of predators- kindness. With a body length of 13-25 cm, this animal weighs 40-70 g.

The largest member of the rodent orderthe capybara, or capybara, is considered to live in the marshy forests of South America. Animals reach a length of 1.4 m and weigh up to 110 kg. The largest rodent of our fauna - the beaver - reaches a length of 1 m and weighs over 30 kg.

The biggest hornsof the currently existing animals, the Asiatic buffalo, which lives in India, possesses. The length of the horns, measured from the tip of one horn across the forehead to the tip of the other, in one of the male buffalo was 4.3 m.

This is interesting…

1. The shape of the pupil in animals can be different. So, in a goat the pupil is square, in some antelopes it looks like a stylized image of the heart, and in domestic cats it is slit-like or fusiform.
2. The mystery of the glow of the eyes of animals in the dark is not so difficult. The fact is that the inner surface of the eyes of cats, dogs and wolves has a reflective mirror layer - the tapetum. It is not solid, but consists of small silvery crystals that collect the weak rays of stars, the moon and other distant light sources. Reflected light varies in strength and color. It all depends on the shape, size and angle of rotation of the crystals.
3. Rodent teeth are remarkably strong. Rats and mice gnaw through lead insulation and concrete, and one porcupine gnawed a hole in a glass bottle.
4. The hard-skeletal shrew lives in Africa. The axial part of her skeleton is an interlacing of bone "reinforcement", reminiscent of openwork metal structures. These animals are not in danger of being crushed, even if an elephant steps on their hole. The shrew itself, no larger than 10-12 cm in size, can withstand a load equal to the average weight of an adult.
5. Bats are ordinary vampires, or desmodes, found in South America, feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals. The vampire sits on a sleeping cow, horse, or human in such a way that the victim does not even feel it. With razor-sharp teeth, the vampire cuts off small pieces of skin until blood flows (a substance contained in the vampire's saliva prevents blood from clotting), folds the tongue into a groove and laps it at high speed. For a year, one desmod can drink up to 12 liters of blood.

Coelenterates, like sponges, first appeared on earth more than 500 million years ago. They have multicellular organisms and a variety of forms. Coelenterates include sea anemones, jellyfish and corals.

general characteristics

The body of the coelenterates has the shape of a bag with a hole, which is surrounded by tentacles. They can be turned up like a polyp or down like a jellyfish. Coelenterates and sponges have a radially symmetrical body, that is, body parts are located around a central axis.

Nutrition

The internal cavity in the body of the coelenterates communicates with the surface through a single hole, which serves to eat and release undigested residues. Around the hole are tentacles that capture, paralyze and pull the prey inside.

Habitat

Coelenterates live in warm tropical seas; some of them lead a fixed way of life, others are free-floating. So, hydroids can be both motionless (polyps) and floating (jellyfish); the scyphoid class consists only of jellyfish, and the class of coral polyps includes only immobile forms - polyps living separately or in colonies. Coelenterates are multicellular organisms, characterized by a simple structure and radial symmetry. Such a structure is very convenient for animals that do not have the ability to move freely: both food and enemies can appear from anywhere, so it is important to be ready to attack or defend from any direction.

The body of all intestinal cavities consists of one internal cavity that communicates with the surface through a hole - the mouth, the walls of which perform respiratory functions, serve to eat and remove processed products.

The mouth is surrounded by tentacles with nettle, or stinging, cells. When a small animal touches one of them, a tubular fiber containing a poisonous liquid is thrown out. Hundreds of such threads dig into the victim, and the tentacles pull it, paralyzed, into the oral cavity. Thus, coelenterates are predators; their prey is small fish and crustaceans. Due to the specifics of the body structure, the coelenterates are well camouflaged at the bottom and become a sudden trap for their victims.

The type of structure of the intestinal cavity (there are two main types - polyps and jellyfish) during the development of the animal is able to change: the larva can be motionless, in the form of a polyp, and the adult can be mobile, like a jellyfish; and vice versa, the larva is mobile, and the adult animal is a stationary form of a polyp, like in corals.

The walls of the body of the intestinal cavity consist of two rows of cells: one is external, it is called the ectoderm, and the other internal is the endoderm. Between the two rows of cells is a jelly-like layer with plenty of water.

The ectoderm is made up of oblong muscle cells, and the endoderm is rounded. The shooting movement characteristic of jellyfish is provided by the activity of these two rows of cells, which stretch and contract. Such movements allow the jellyfish to move forward: compressions push water out from under the umbrella, and the jellyfish receives a jet propulsion, like a rocket.

The rest of the cells have been transformed into nerve cells and envelop the surface of the body in a mesh, endowing the jellyfish with sensory organs.

Coelenterates are divided into three large classes: hydroid, scyphoid and coral polyps.

There are 2700 species of hydroids; they are small, reproduce only by budding, and come in two forms, polyps and jellyfish. They live in isolation, like hydras, or in colonies, like hydrants.

The scyphoid class includes jellyfish of bright colors with large umbrellas; they only live in isolation. There are about 250 species of scyphoids: the largest representative of this class is the arctic cyanide, whose umbrella is more than 2 m in diameter.

Coral polyps are a class of intestinal cavities with the largest number of species - 6500 species. They are found only in the form of polyps, can be solitary, like anemones or sea anemones, but more often live in colonies, like corals and madrepores.

The most popular of the coral polyps - red coral - has been known in China and Japan since ancient times; in Europe, it began to be widely used for making jewelry even before our era. For the inhabitants of Tibet in the 13th century BC, red coral was a bargaining chip. In addition, as early as the end of the 19th century, various healing properties were attributed to corals: coral powder was considered a panacea for many diseases.

Kinds

The noble, or red, coral is found mainly in the Mediterranean Sea at a depth of 20 to 200 m in colonies 10-14 cm high. Other representatives of this species living in the Sea of ​​Japan reach 1 m in height and weigh about 40 kg.

For thousands of years, noble coral has been used to make small decorative items and ornaments. It is found even in burials of the 4th century BC.

The visible part of the coral is the outer skeleton, very hard and fragile, formed by small polyps. They form branched colonies that resemble small trees, especially when they move their tentacles that look like corollas of flowers.

Hydra lives in fresh water. Because of its six thin tentacles, the length of which is six times the size of the hydra itself, it is very similar to algae. Looking at it, it is hard to imagine that this innocent animal was identified in Greek mythology with a monstrous snake with nine heads that grew again every time they were cut off.

The structure of the jellyfish is interesting in that this animal is 95% composed of water, and organic matter is only 5% of the total mass. If a large jellyfish is thrown onto land, it will completely “melt”, and after a few hours there will be nothing left on the sand but a small wet spot.

Xenia is a very beautiful tree-like coral, sparkling with its feathered tentacles.

In the sea pen, unlike its coral relatives, the outer skeleton is soft and flexible, which makes it look like a graceful quill pen. It emits a bright blue-green color, which is why it received the Latin name pennatula phosphorea, which means “phosphorus” in Russian.

The verrucoso anemone is a medium-sized anemone (about 3 cm) with a characteristic knobby leg. In case of danger, she hides her tentacles in her mouth and becomes like a hard ball.

Gorgonaria unicella cavolinia is a very rare coral found in the Mediterranean Sea. He lives in large colonies, and his branched "crown" reaches 70 cm in length. Unfortunately, the beauty of this coral draws the attention of poachers to it.

In the Mediterranean Sea, you can find caryophylla clava - a madrepore living in isolation with a thin transparent body.

Type Intestinal - these are multicellular individuals, inhabitants of water expanses, mainly seas. Some species have adapted to a sedentary lifestyle (attach to the bottom or substrate), while others actively move, covering long distances.

There are over 10,000 species of coelenterates. The variety of coelenterates is very large: there are small individuals up to a couple of millimeters, and huge representatives are jellyfish cyanoea, about two meters wide, and the tentacles reach 15 meters in length.

Why are intestinal animals given this name? Coelenterates have a two-layer body, so that a cavity is formed between the cells of the layers, which is equipped with one mouth opening. The cavity is called intestinal, and the name intestinal cavity was formed.

For coelenterates, radial symmetry is characteristic, if you draw a line from the lower edge to the upper, then the opposite parts of the body relative to the drawn axis will be identical. The wall of the polyp consists of three layers.

Epidermis

The first layer is the outer ball of epithelial cells (epidermis).

The ectoderm also includes:

• contractile cells(provide movement);
• stinging that perform a protective function. In the capsule of stinging cells there is a paralyzing poison; when danger approaches, poisonous substances enter a special channel, which is located in the stinging thread and goes to the body of the victim. After splashing out the poison, the cell dies, a new one begins to form from the intermediate cells;
• intermediate cells capable of constant division and transformation into specialized ones, this is how the regeneration of the body is carried out;
• sex cells- eggs and spermatozoa are formed in ectodermal tubercles.

Endoderm

The second layer is the inner (endodermis). The cell ball lines the intestinal cavity, consists of two types of cells:

• Digestive- have flagella and pseudopods, with the help of which they capture food particles and carry out intracellular digestion;
• glandular- secrete enzymes for the breakdown of food in the gastric cavity.

Mesoglea

Mesoglea, which is located between the layers and is a jelly-like mass, with collagen fibers, does not contain cells.

Coelenterates lack mesoderm - the middle germ layer.

Coelenterates

All representatives are deprived of specialized respiratory, circulatory, excretory organs. Nervous system coelenterates is represented by nerve cells that are connected to the nerve plexus. Jellyfish have nerve rings near the mouth and dome.

Digestion carried out in the intestinal cavity due to glandular cells, epithelial-muscular cells are responsible for intracellular digestion. Digested residues are excreted through the mouth opening (the digestive system is closed).

reproduction coelenterates goes by budding, this is an asexual mechanism, when the body is divided in longitudinal or transverse directions. During sexual division, sperm and eggs enter the external environment, where they merge. First, a zygote is formed, and then a larva emerges - a planula. After the transformation of the planula, either a polyp or a jellyfish can form from it.

Life cycle of coelenterates

Depending on the life cycle of the coelenterates, two groups are distinguished: asexual generation (polyps) and sexual generation (jellyfish).

polyps- These are single organisms or colonial ones, which unite from tens to thousands of individual individuals. Equipped with a mouth opening with tentacles, which passes into the gastric cavity. The lower part of the polyp is the sole with which it is attached to underwater objects or the bottom.

The internal cavity is divided by septa, the number of which corresponds to the number of tentacles. Cilia depart from the septa, which are in constant motion and provide a regular change of water inside the polyp.

The continuous movement of water provides increased pressure in the intestinal cavity, so the polyps straighten out and stay in this position for a long time. When he gets tired, he changes his position by bending over or moving a short distance.

The shape of the body is similar to a bell, the contractile cells of which ensure the active movement of individuals in the water. The mesoglea is 98% water, the rest is connective tissue. Jellyfish, due to their high water content, are easy to keep in the aquatic environment.

On the bottom of the bell is a mouth opening with mouth lobes. With the help of the mouth, food is captured, which enters the intestinal cavity. It consists of many tubules that have departed from the central cavity. In the mouth area there are stinging cells that serve to obtain food and protect against enemies.

Jellyfish have sensory organs, on the surface of the body there are eyes that perceive light rays. If the jellyfish is washed ashore, it will die due to the complete evaporation of water.

What stage of the life cycle of coelenterates promotes their settlement?

The dispersal of animals across the sea is at the larval and medusoid stages. During these periods of life, they are able to move or are carried by the current. A polyp, on the other hand, can only move a couple of meters over the entire period of existence, and most are completely motionless.

Types of coelenterates

The following types of coelenterates are distinguished: hydroid, scyphoid and coral polyps.

hydroid- have a relatively simple structure in comparison with other representatives of the type. They feed on plankton and small animals. In the spring-summer period, it reproduces asexually, buds develop on the body, which, when ripe, leave the mother. In autumn, sexual reproduction takes place, with the formation of an egg, which in the spring will give life to new organisms.

Scyphoid- a class of free-swimming jellyfish, the polyp stage is either absent or poorly developed. Reproduction is sexual, a scyphostomy is formed, from which jellyfish bud (the young form is ether).

coral- organisms with an internal keratinized skeleton. They lead a sedentary lifestyle, reproduce by budding, while not separated from the mother's body, or sexually.

Flatworms have a more complex structure and developed differentiation of tissues and organs. But representatives of the intestinal cavities have evolved significantly in comparison with the simplest organisms, which is manifested in the structure, way of life, procreation.

Compare the life features of coelenterates and protozoa using the table below.

The role of coelenterates in nature

Participate in the regulation of the number of small fish, crustaceans, as they are food for intestinal organisms.

They are an integral part of the marine biocenosis.

They form coral reefs - a mass accumulation of madreporous corals. They are located near the islands, gradually growing upwards, forming islands (atolls).

They serve as raw material for the extraction of lime.

Coelenterates can live in symbiosis with other animals. Anemones, which lead a sedentary lifestyle, often attach themselves to crayfish and thus move faster. Cohabitation is also beneficial for cancer, as anemone protects it from enemies.

The anemone's tentacles provide hiding places for small shrimp.

The value of intestinal organisms in human life

Widely used in the food industry (edible jellyfish - cornerot). The Japanese catch several thousand tons of Ropilem jellyfish every year, from which various dishes are prepared.

Jewelry is made from the skeleton of a red coral polyp.

Coral reef islands become an obstacle to transport ships.

A poison that is dangerous to human health, which is secreted by stinging cells of the coelenterates, causes severe burns, as well as respiratory failure and cardiac arrhythmia.

This species is nothing but invertebrate multicellular animals. They are divided into two types: ctenophores and cnidarians, as well as into two categories: mobile and motionless. Consider the most interesting facts about coelenterates.

About jellyfish

Jellyfish, like sea feathers and pelaria, stand out with a bluish glow. This is because certain bacteria live in their body, thanks to which these coelenterates have bioluminescence.

An Australian scientist found that in the 44th year of the last century, approximately 100 thousand people died from the poison of the box jellyfish of the sea wasp in the Australian seas. She is the most dangerous and poisonous animal in the world.

Also in southern Australia, in Edikar, they discovered the oldest jellyfish prints in the world. It was possible to find out that they are about 600 million years old.

Many people wonder why jellyfish are transparent. Because their body is almost entirely water, only 2 percent is collagen.

The definition of "jellyfish" was given to a number of marine coelenterates by the famous scientist Linnaeus back in 1740.

The huge jellyfish cyanide capillata is the largest coelenterate. It lives in the Atlantic Ocean, in its northwestern part. Its diameter is almost 2.30 meters, and the tentacles are 36.5 meters.

About corals

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest in the world. It is located in Australia, Queensland. Its length is more than 2,000 kilometers, and its width reaches 72 km.

Those reefs that are formed by stony coral polyps are the most diverse. They can only be compared with tropical forests. In them you can find many species of fish, shellfish and other aquatic life.

There are such horn corals, or gorgonians. So, they are most popular because they contain a large amount of iodine. In ancient times, they were even used for medicinal purposes.

About the structure of the intestinal

Many of them have tentacles, and these are very important organs for them. Seeing their prey, they wrap their tentacles around it and push it into their mouths.

They also have hollow filaments, an equally important organ. These threads also resemble tentacles, only with their help the coelenterates protect themselves and neutralize the enemy.

The poison of stinging cells, which is released by the coelenterates, can be deadly to humans, although many consider it harmless. A burn is still half the trouble, the worst thing is that the nervous and respiratory systems can fail, which will lead to death.