Barnacle: Difference between revisions

'''Barnacles''' can be found on just about any beach in the world. These marine animals are sessile filter feeders, which are most commonly known for being attached to rocks and hulls of ships. They are also known for cutting up skin when stepping on them.  They are a major problem for sailors; when enough barnacles cluster on the ship they make the ship heavier and less aerodynamic.  Also, because of an extremely strong adhesive, they are difficult to remove from just about any surface.  Though they are known as a nuisance, they do have some good qualities as well.  For one, they help to filter out the water by feeding on the detritus and plankton in it.  This helps the water to stay clean and clear.[http://museumvictoria.com.au/crust/barnbiol.html]   

[[File:Barnacle_anatomy.jpg|thumb|left|225px|Barnacle anatomy diagram]]There are several parts that make up a barnacle.  The outermost layer of a barnacle is its shell; the shell of the adult barnacle is usually composed of four to eight calcareous plates which can form different shapes depending on the species of barnacle.[http://www.mesa.edu.au/friends/seashores/barnacles.html] The entrance to the barnacle is also covered by two calcareous plates which can pull back to open up or close this portal to the interior of the barnacle.[http://museumvictoria.com.au/crust/barnbiol.html]  These plates will grow and expand by adding more material to itself.

The plates that cover the opening to the barnacle are operated by several sets of muscles: the scutal depressor muscles, the scutal abductor muscle, and the tergal depressor muscle.  These are used to open and close the the plates that cover the opening to the barnacle.[http://webs.lander.edu/rsfox/invertebrates/balanus.html]  

Immediately inside the Barnacle are six legs that are used for three purposes.  These legs or cirri are usually formed in a feather like shape and have tiny sensory hairs called setae which cover the cirri.[http://invertebrates.si.edu/crustaceans.htm] These legs are used for filter feeding, are the main source of response, and they are used for respiration in class cirripedia.[http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Ce-Cr/Crustaceans.html]  When used for feeding the legs are extended into the water by the barnacle in order to catch whatever food it can.  The legs are then retracted and whatever particles the legs have caught are brought to the mouth..[http://invertebrates.si.edu/crustaceans.htm]  They are also used as the sensory organs of the Barnacle.  The tiny sensory hairs on the cirri detect danger and water level in order to tell the creature whether to open or close the two calcareous plates at the top [http://www.cb1.com/~john/research/barnacle.html]

The digestive system is composed of the [mouth], [esophagus], [stomach], [small intestine] and [anus].  The digestion process goes something like this:  After the Barnacle's cirri feed the food to the mouth it travels down a short esophagus.  After flowing through the esophagus it ends up in the stomach, where it is stored for some time.  It then goes down the small intestine where the nutrition is absorbed.  After the nutrition is absorbed the waste is then excreted out the anus, which is then filtered back out into the ocean.[http://webs.lander.edu/rsfox/invertebrates/balanus.html]  

The life process of a barnacle consists of three stages.  The nauplius, the cyprid, and the adult stage.[http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Barnacle#encyclopedia]

Doctors and scientists are very interested in manufacturing the type of glue that a barnacle uses to attach itself to rocks and other surfaces.  Research has shown that this is an extremely strong adhesive.  A thin layer three ten-thousandths of an inch thick over an area of one inch can support a weight of seven thousand pounds.  It can also withstand temperatures up to 380 degrees Fahrenheit without cracking, and it will only soften at temperatures above 6,000°F.  It is also resistant to water, strong acids, solvents, and alkalies.  This would be a valuable substance if we could find out how to produce it.[http://seagrant.gso.uri.edu/factsheets/597barnacle.html]

There are a thousand ways that it could be used.  This includes medical, construction, military, and even everyday uses.  This could include mending bones, patching up skin, repairing tears in materials, holding stuff together, and hundreds of other uses. [http://seagrant.gso.uri.edu/factsheets/597barnacle.html]