How could a biologist distinguish an acoel flatworm from a free living platyhelminth?
A)The acoel worm would be solid throughout,since it lacks a gut.
B)The acoel worm would have a nervous system.
C)The platyhelminth would have a more primitive gut and nervous system.
D)Only the acoel is triploblastic.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Acoel flatworms lack a gut, so they would be solid throughout. Free-living platyhelminths, such as planarians, have a digestive system with a mouth and anus, and therefore would not be solid throughout. The nervous system and level of development of the digestive system cannot be used as distinguishing features between the two, as both groups have nervous systems and the platyhelminths may have a more or less developed digestive system depending on the species. Triploblasty is a characteristic of both acoel flatworms and free-living platyhelminths, so it cannot be used to distinguish between the two.

How Could a Biologist Distinguish an Acoel Flatworm from a Free