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What is the process of feeding and digestion like in cephalopods, as mentioned in Phylum Mollusca?

User Puhlze
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Final answer:

Cephalopods feed on prey using beak-like jaws and a radula to shred it. Their complex digestive system includes a gizzard, stomach, and digestive gland for processing food. They have a well-developed nervous system and a closed circulatory system.

Step-by-step explanation:

The process of feeding and digestion in cephalopods, a class of mollusks characterized by their distinct head and tentacles, involves several specialized structures. Cephalopods are carnivorous predators that utilize their beak-like jaws along with a feeding organ known as the radula, a chitinous structure with file-like teeth, for capturing and processing their prey before it enters the digestive tract.

Once the food is captured using their muscular tentacles and shredded by the radula, it passes through the cephalopod's complete digestive system, which includes a gizzard for further grinding, a stomach for enzymatic breakdown, a digestive gland where nutrients are absorbed, and an intestine that finishes the process of digestion and nutrient absorption. Cephalopods are known for their complex nervous system and advanced eyes, which aid in the hunting of prey. Moreover, unlike other mollusks, cephalopods have a closed circulatory system, with blood entirely contained within vessels.

User Skay
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