Feeding Mechanisms
Feeding
Mechanisms
Few animals can absorb nutrients directly from their external environments. Exceptions are some blood parasites , certain intestinal protozoan parasites ), and tapeworms and acanthocephalans,that nourish themselves on primary organic molecules absorbed directly across their body surfaces. Most animals, however, must work for their meals. They are active feeders that have evolved numerous specializations for obtaining food. With food procurement as one of the most potent driving forces in animal evolution, natural selection has placed a high priority on adaptations for exploiting new sources of food and the means of food capture and intake. In this brief discussion we consider some of the major foodgathering devices.
Few animals can absorb nutrients directly from their external environments. Exceptions are some blood parasites , certain intestinal protozoan parasites ), and tapeworms and acanthocephalans,that nourish themselves on primary organic molecules absorbed directly across their body surfaces. Most animals, however, must work for their meals. They are active feeders that have evolved numerous specializations for obtaining food. With food procurement as one of the most potent driving forces in animal evolution, natural selection has placed a high priority on adaptations for exploiting new sources of food and the means of food capture and intake. In this brief discussion we consider some of the major foodgathering devices.
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