Underwater microscope footage of one of the traps of a bladderwort plant (Utricularia sp.) catching some prey. Bladderworts are carnivorous aquatic plants found in moist areas around the world. Typically they float in nutrient-poor water, with their branching stems bearing numerous tiny traps. Each trap is a small vessel ringed with sensitive branching hairs. The walls of the trap constantly pump out water, creating a partial vacuum within. When a small organism touches a hair, the door to the chamber is deformed slightly and the door opens, with the inward rush or water carrying the prey into the trap and closing the door behind it. Digestive secretions from the trap wall then break down the prey into essential nutrients for the plant. Here the prey is an ostracod. | |
Lizenzart: | Lizenzpflichtig |
Credit: | Science Photo Library / Chee, Francis |
Modell-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Länge: | 12 Sekunden |
Seitenverhältnis: | 16:9 |
Restrictions: | - |