coelenterate sensory systems

[Alina Szmant]

In response to Jeremy's comment,  I hate to see coral-list degenerate to
answering basic questions that are so fundamental to basic training that
they indicate that whomever asked them hasn't bothered to do any background
reading before undertaking a research project.  Is this indicative of the
level of training of young 'scientists'  hese days?  Anyone that plans to
do research on corals should have read through Libby Hyman's works,
Chapman, and all sorts of "old" 1960's papers and chapters.   Doesn't
anyone know how to use a library anymore?

Alina Szmant


>Return-Path: <owner-coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
>Delivered-To: szmant at mail.rsmas.miami.edu
>Delivered-To: aszmant at rsmas.miami.edu
>Date: Tue, 1 Jun 1999 06:33:26 -0500 (GMT-0500)
>From: Jeremy Woodley <woodley at uwimona.edu.jm>
>To: anya salih <anya at emu.usyd.edu.au>
>Cc: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
>Subject: Re: coelenterate sensory systems
>Sender: owner-coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
>Reply-To: Jeremy Woodley <woodley at uwimona.edu.jm>
>
>Is it not well known that corals have a ciliated epidermis?  It creates
>superficial currents used for cleaning and feeding.
>
>On Tue, 1 Jun 1999, anya salih wrote:
>
>> >Is anyone familiar with the anatomy of surficial microstructures
>> >on polyp tentacles.  I have observed on SEM small (~1 micron) hair-like
>> >structures and have seen them referred to, in a book entitled "Microbial
>> >Seascapes", as a bacterial lawn.  It has been brought to my attention
>> >that they curiously resemble cilliated epithelium. If anyone has seen
>> >these structures or has
>> 
>> I have seen (by light microscopy) cilia  on the epidermal layer of many
>> corals. If coral tissues are mechanically broken up or chemically
>> dissociated, the clumps of tissues will then rapidly rotate in seawater
>> from the action of beating cilia on their surfaces. Bacteria are also
>> present on the surface and can be just made out by light mircroscopy, are
>> much smaller and thinner. The epidermal layer of coral larvae is also
>> ciliated. I would think that the cilia increase the absorption surface
>> area.
>> 
>> Anya
>> 
>> Anya Salih                      Internet:  anya at emu.usyd.edu.au
>> Marine Physiology Lab           Telephone:02-93513006 (Zool)
>> Zoology AO8                               02-93517540 (EMU)
>> School of Biological Sciences   Facsimile:02-93517682
>> The University of Sydney
>> Sydney, 2006, AUSTRALIA
>> 
>> 
>> 
>
>
>
**********************************************
Dr. Alina M. Szmant
Coral Reef Research Group
RSMAS-MBF
University of Miami
4600 Rickenbacker Cswy.
Miami FL 33149

TEL: (305)361-4609
FAX: (305)361-4600 or 361-4005
E-mail:  ASZMANT at RSMAS.MIAMI.EDU
**********************************************