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Do Planarians Have Cephalization?

Sarah Jenkins • • 6 min read
Do Planarians Have Cephalization?

The planarian is the simplest living animal having a body plan of bilateral symmetry and cephalization. The brain of these free-living flatworms

flatworms
The helminths are invertebrates characterized by elongated, flat or round bodies. In medically oriented schemes the flatworms or platyhelminths (platy from the Greek root meaning “flat”) include flukes and tapeworms. ... Helminths develop through egg, larval (juvenile), and adult stages.
is a bilobed structure with a cortex of nerve cells and a core of nerve fibres including some that decussate to form commissures.

Do flatworms have cephalization?

Most flatworms have a distinct head region that includes nerve cells and sensory organs, such as eyespots. The development of a head region, called cephalization, evolved at the same time as bilateral symmetry in animals.

What class are planarians?

planarian, (class Turbellaria), any of a group of widely distributed, mostly free-living flatworms of the class Turbellaria (phylum Platyhelminthes). Planaria is the name of one genus, but the name planarian is used to designate any member of the family Planariidae and related families.

Sarah Jenkins
Author

Sarah Jenkins

Sarah Jenkins is a veteran tech journalist with over 12 years of experience covering artificial intelligence, mobile innovations, and digital ethics. Her insights have appeared in leading technology publications worldwide.