Please help bio?

Question

Segmented tube worms that live near the vents grow to lengths of 1.5 m in contrast to the growth of related tube worms living in other environments, whose growth is measured only in centimeters at most. You hypothesize that the food that the worms eat is more abundant at the vents. When you collect samples of the worms, you discover that they have no mouth or other means of taking in food. Hypothesize how the tube worms are obtaining nutrients.

Answer 1

Hi Jordan,

This is not a hypothesis, but is how the tube worms get their food (see Wiki link below)... giant tube worms have a highly vascularized, red "plume" at the tip of their free end which is an organ for exchanging compounds with the environment (e.g., H2S, CO2, O2, etc).  The plume provides essential nutrients to tiny bacteria living inside a specialized organ within the worm's body (i.e., trophosome) as part of a symbiotic relationship.  They are remarkable in that they have no digestive tract, but the bacteria (which may make up half of a worm's body weight) turn oxygen, hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, etc. into organic molecules on which their host worms feed.  This evolutionary adaptation presumably came about due to the fact that the worms live so far away from sunlight.  With no sun available as a form of energy, the tube worms rely on bacteria in their habitat to obtain the nutrients they need to exist.

20. Because the sponge cannot move around or "go after" its food, the sponge gets its food by means of an adaptation to bring the food to it.  A sponge eats by pumping seawater in through its pores.  This brings in the surrounding seawater with all of the tiny plants/animals it contains.  The sponge filters microscopic plants from the water and expels the excess water through large holes called oscula.  It also absorbs oxygen directly from seawater.

I hope this helps.

Hiking Tony