Radula
The radula is the toothed chitinous ribbon in the mouth of most molluscs.[1] It can be compared with the tongue of human beings but, unlike our tongue, it is used for cutting and chewing food before it enters the esophagus.
The radula is present in all molluscs except bivalves, and only in molluscs. For example, Gastropods use it to graze and scrape diatoms and other microscopic algae off rock surfaces and other substrata. Squid use it for cutting up their prey.
Radula Media
Radula and individual tooth of the predatory ghost slug, Selenochlamys ysbryda
Microscopic detail of a docoglossan radula showing the denticles or teeth
Tracks made by terrestrial gastropods with their radulas, scraping green algae from a surface inside a greenhouse
Upper right: Mouth of a Planorbarius corneus freshwater snail with the radula visible.
Radula (magn. 400x) of the gray garden slug (Deroceras laeve) showing the chitinous lingual ribbons with numerous inward-pointing denticles
A portion of the radula of Marstonia comalensis showing outer marginal teeth (on the left), inner marginal teeth and immediately next to them lateral teeth, central teeth. Scale bar is 20 μm.
Inner marginal tooth. Scale bar is 10 μm.
Lateral teeth. Scale bar is 10 μm.
Central teeth. Scale bar is 10 μm.
_and_eggs_of_Planorbarius_corneus_snails.jpg)
References
- ↑ Hickman Carole, S (1980). "Gastropod radulae and the sssessment of form in evolutionary paleontology". Paleobiology. 6 (3): 276–294. doi:10.1017/S0094837300006801. S2CID 89455588.
Other websites
- Molluscan buccal structures and radula
- A Comparison of the feeding behaviour and the functional morphology of radula structure in Nudibranchs Archived 2007-03-13 at the Wayback Machine