Throughout Most Cnidarian Groups,the Basal or Pedal Disc Serves To

Question

Throughout most cnidarian groups,the basal or pedal disc serves to
A)be the base of the tentacles.
B)attach the cnidarian to the substrate.
C)generate buds.
D)perform extracellular digestion.
E)harbor sensory cells.

Accepted Answer

The basal or pedal disc in cnidarians serves to attach the organism to the substrate, allowing it to stay in place and capture food. This is important because cnidarians are mostly sessile or slow-moving organisms. While the basal disc also helps generate buds and may contain sensory cells, its primary function is attachment. Tentacles arise from the oral end of the organism, not the basal disc. Extracellular digestion occurs within the body cavity of cnidarians.