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Investigating Planarian Behavior and Regeneration

Image of a pipet drawing up a planarian

Topic

  • Cell Biology
  • Stem Cells
  • Anatomy & Physiology
  • Reproduction & Development
  • Scientific Skills & Literacy
  • Experimental Design

Resource Type

  • Activities
  • Labs & Demos

Level

High School — AP/IBCollege
Saved By
22 Users
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Description

This activity allows students to observe their own planarian and then design an experiment to investigate how planarians regenerate. It supports viewing of the video Identifying Key Genes in Regeneration.

In this hands-on lab activity, students use planarians as a model organism to study the remarkable process of regeneration. Students first observe the planarian’s physical and behavioral attributes. Student teams then formulate a hypothesis regarding the regenerative ability of planarians. Over two to three weeks, students care for their planarians and collect data to test their hypothesis. After completing their experiments, students view a video to learn about the role of stem cells in regeneration.

This activity is based on an article that is provided as a download.

Student Learning Targets

  • Design and carry out an investigation.

  • Use a model organism to gather evidence to support or refute claims/hypotheses.

Estimated Time

One to two 50-minute class periods to set up the experiment and two to three weeks for the entire lab. See the “Educator Materials” for recommended times for each section.

Key Terms

anterior, flatworm, multipotency, neoblast, posterior, regeneration, stem cell, totipotency

Primary Literature

Accorsi, Alice, Monique M. Williams, Eric J. Ross, Sofia M. C. Robb, Sarah A. Elliott, Kimberly C. Tu, and Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado. “Hands-On Classroom Activities for Exploring Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology with Planarians.” The American Biology Teacher 79, 3 (2017): 208–223. https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2017.79.3.208.  

Terms of Use

Please see the Terms of Use for information on how this resource can be used.

Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)

PDF files partially meet criteria.

Version History

Date Published 03.07.06
Date Updated 02.22.19

NGSS (2013)

HS-LS1-2, HS-LS1-4; SEP1, SEP3, SEP4

AP Biology (2019)

ENE-3.D, IST-2.A, IST-2.D, IST-3.A; SP3

IB Biology (2016)

1.6, 2.1

Common Core (2010)

ELA.RST.9–12.3

Vision and Change (2009)

CC2; DP1

Materials

Educator Materials (PDF) 505 KB
Student Handout (PDF) 395 KB
Primary Literature (PDF) 1 MB

Additional Materials

  • live planarians

  • various lab materials (see the “Educator Materials” for the full list)

Use This Resource With

Video Resource
Identifying the Key Genes for Regeneration

Explore Related Content

Other Resources About Planaria

Showing of
Image from the interactive
Click & Learn
Tissue Regeneration in Animals
Image of a planarian with two heads
Scientists at Work
Identifying the Key Genes for Regeneration
Image of a planarian with two heads from the activity
Phenomenal Images
Why Two Heads?
Image of a two-headed planarian from the video
Scientists at Work
Planarian Regeneration and Stem Cells

Other Related Resources

Showing of
Image of a blastocyst from the video
Animations
Human Embryonic Development
Image of a planarian with two heads
Scientists at Work
Identifying the Key Genes for Regeneration
Image of a planarian with two heads from the activity
Phenomenal Images
Why Two Heads?
Image of skin and egg cells from the video
Animations
Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (Schematic)
Image from the interactive
Click & Learn
Stem-Cell-Based Therapies
Image from the interactive
Click & Learn
Tissue Regeneration in Animals
Image of a two-headed planarian from the video
Scientists at Work
Planarian Regeneration and Stem Cells
Image of SCNT from the video
Clips
Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (Footage)
Image of a salamander limb from the video
Animations
Salamander Limb Regeneration
Image of a human embryo from the video
Animations
Prenatal Development of the Human Brain
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