Refer to the figure below. The Cnidaria are simple marine animals that have either of the two basic body plans shown in the figure.You may be familiar with sea anemones, which have the body plan shown on the left, and you are likely familiar with jellyfish, which have the body plan shown on the right.What feature shared by both of these cnidarians could have been important in providing the conditions that enabled the rise of multicellularity on Earth?
A) Marine habitat
B) Tentacles
C) Shared mouth and anus
D) Separate internal and external layers
E) Symmetrical body shape

Question

Refer to the figure below.  The Cnidaria are simple marine animals that have either of the two basic body plans shown in the figure.You may be familiar with sea anemones, which have the body plan shown on the left, and you are likely familiar with jellyfish, which have the body plan shown on the right.What feature shared by both of these cnidarians could have been important in providing the conditions that enabled the rise of multicellularity on Earth?
A) Marine habitat 
B) Tentacles 
C) Shared mouth and anus 
D) Separate internal and external layers 
E) Symmetrical body shape

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Both sea anemones and jellyfish have the feature of separate internal and external layers (the epidermis and gastrodermis) with a jelly-like layer called mesoglea in between. This separation of layers allows for specialized functions to develop within the organism, which is a key feature of multicellular organisms. Therefore, this feature could have played an important role in the evolution of multicellularity on Earth.

Refer to the Figure Below