Where are the palps found and what is their function?
The correct answer and explanation is:
Correct Answer:
Palps are found near the mouth of a clam, surrounding the entrance to the digestive tract. Their function is to help sort and direct food particles toward the mouth.
Explanation:
Palps, also known as labial palps, are flap-like structures located near the anterior end of a clam, close to the gills and the mouth. They play an essential role in the clam’s feeding process. Clams are filter feeders, meaning they obtain their food by filtering suspended particles from the water. Water enters the clam’s body through the incurrent siphon, passes over the gills, and exits through the excurrent siphon. During this process, food particles in the water become trapped in mucus on the surface of the gills.
Once the gills have trapped the food, the cilia on the gill surfaces move the mucus-bound particles toward the palps. The palps then carry out two important tasks. First, they sort the particles by size and quality. Useful food particles are directed toward the mouth for ingestion, while larger or non-nutritive particles are rejected and expelled from the body. This sorting mechanism allows the clam to efficiently choose appropriate food while discarding unwanted debris.
Palps are lined with cilia, which are tiny hair-like structures that help in moving the food particles. This ciliary action is vital for the clam’s passive feeding system, as it does not actively hunt or grasp food. Instead, it relies entirely on water flow and the coordinated activity of cilia on the gills and palps.
The role of the palps is therefore crucial for the clam’s survival. Without them, the clam would be unable to selectively ingest food, leading to inefficient feeding or potential ingestion of harmful material. This structure highlights the clam’s specialized adaptation for life as a sedentary filter feeder in aquatic environments.