Tardigrade Beginning Research - Team Edition

Tardigrade Research  -  Your group will become an expert in one of the following topics.  Be prepared to report to the class what you have found.  Use google and other resources to find the answers to the following questions.

Taxonomy

1.  To what kingdom and phylum do tardigrades belong?

2.  How many different species of tardigrades are there in the world?

3.  How are species identified?  

4.  What are some common names for tardigrades? 

 

Anatomy

1.  How many legs do tardigrades have? 

2.  What How many claws are on each leg? 

3.  Describe the head region of the tardigrade.   

4.  What is a tun? 

 

Physiology

1.  What organs or organ systems does a tardigrade have?  

2.  Describe the nervous system of the tardigrade.

3.  How do tardigrades obtain oxygen?  Do they have lungs?

4.  How do tardigrades reproduce? 

 

Ecology

1.  Where do tardigrades live?

2.  What eats tardigrades?

3.  What do tardigrades eat?

4.  How could you go about finding a tardigrade in your environment?

 

Habitat

1.  Where do tardigrades live? 

2.  How do you find them? 

3.  Can you keep tardigrades as a pet, what would you need to keep them alive?

4.   Can you see a tardigrade with your eye?  How big are they?       

 

Unique Features

1.  What is cryptobiosis and how does it relate do tardigrades? 

2.  What is an extremophile? 

3.  What extreme conditions can tardigrades survive?

4.  What are the benefits of studying tardigrades?

 

Experimental Question:   As a group, decide on a question you would like to explore in the lab.  This is a question that can be answered by collecting tardigrades and gathering data.    Your teacher may provide you with some suggestions if you are stuck