one of many flatworms of the Turbellaria class.
: any of a genus (Planaria) of 2-eyed planarian worms; broadly: planarian. See planaria defined for kids. Medical Definition of PLANARIA. 1. capitalized: the type genus of the family Planariidae comprising planarian worms having two eyes. 2. : any worm of the genus Planaria Planaria is a small aquatic genus of flatworm. The term is also used for other similar flatworms. They are fresh water animals which move in a smooth wave-like manner. Planaria are free-living. They can live in fresh water or very damp soil, depending on the type. The link i used: http://www.planarians.org/ by:Jonathan © 1996-2006. 1  lanaria belong to the phylum, Platyhelminthes, (flatworms). 2  They are a free-living, flat bodied, freshwater creatures that exhibit the remarkable ability. 3  to regenerate their lost body parts. 1 Turbellaria A class of free-living flatworms (see Platyhelminthes) comprising the planarians, which occur in wet soils, fresh water, and marine environments. Their undersurface is covered with cilia, used for gliding over stones and weeds. Planarians can also swim by means of undulations of the body. Cite this article.  Definition of PLANARIA. : any of a genus (Planaria) of 2-eyed planarian worms; broadly: planarian. See planaria defined for kids. ADVERTISEMENT. Medical Definition of PLANARIA. 1. capitalized: the type genus of the family Planariidae comprising planarian worms having two eyes. 2. : any worm of the genus Planaria Unravelling How Planaria Regenerate. Planarian flatworms are one of nature's little wonders. Although their 'cross-eyed' appearance is endearing, their real claim to fame comes from their regenerative ability.  Planarians have both ovaries and testes. To reproduce, they can have sex with another planarian; this is called sexual reproduction. Another way planarians reproduce is called asexual reproduction. This is when a planarian splits and regenerates the parts that are missing. The term is also used for other similar flatworms. They are fresh water animals which move in a smooth wave-like manner. Planaria are free-living. They can live in fresh water or very damp soil, depending on the type. When a planaria’s head is cut off, the remaining tail section will first regenerate a head. Even if the cut is made very close to the tail, the small tail section first regenerates the head and then continues to regenerae the rest of the tissue between the head and the tail. This activity uses the planaria's property for regeneration and compares how long it takes for planaria cut in different places to regenerate a head. Recommend. A planarian is one of many flatworms of the Turbellaria class. It is also the common name for a member of the genus Planaria within the family Planariidae. Sometimes it also refers to the genus Dugesia. Planaria are common to many parts of the world, living in both saltwater and freshwater ponds and rivers. In asexual reproduction, the planarian detaches its tail end and each half regrows the lost parts by regeneration, allowing neoblasts (adult stem cells) to divide and differentiate, thus resulting in two worms. Some species of planaria are exclusively asexual, whereas some can reproduce both sexually and asexually.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/planaria https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planaria http://www.answers.com/Q/What_are_planaria http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/planarian.aspx http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/planaria http://www.nature.com/scitable/blog/accumulating-glitches/unravelling_regeneration_in_planaria https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planaria http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/classroom-activities-planaria-regeneration-activity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planarian
what is a planarian