Polyp

The polyp ( ancient Greek πολύπους = " Vielfüßer " ) is one of the stages in the individual development of Cnidarians ( Cnidaria ).

Polyps show the typical morphology of coelenterates. The very simply structured body consists of a hollow cylinder, which ends up in a central mouth which is surrounded by upward-facing tentacles. Frequently polyps are sessile and their base, the basal or basal disc is firmly attached to a hard surface. However, some hemisessile species can be very slow move.

The flowers animals is the only form of polyp type. When the screen jellyfish and many hydroids, however he is in the course of the generation change after Planulalarvenstadium the sessile form of type ( Scyphopolyp ), from which by strobilation ( Querabschnürung ) developed the free-swimming medusae or jellyfish stage.

Colony-forming cnidarians such as hard and soft corals consist of many thousands of base -knit individual polyps which reproduce vegetatively by continuous budding. Polyp colonies can form complex organisms, such as the Portuguese galley, a driving on the sea state jellyfish.

Polyps have an extraordinary ability to regenerate, so about evolve from a severed in the middle copy two complete individuals (clones ). The regenerative capacity is for medical research of interest.

Swell

• Scherf, Gertrud: Dictionary biology. dtv, 1997. ISBN 3-423-32500-3

• Cnidarians
• Anatomy (eddy lots)