Question

What is the function of a mollusk's radula?

Answer 1

Radula is used for drilling purposes at their prey. It is also used to get the food from the surface. It is covered with rows of many small teeth. It is supported by cartilage-like mass. The small teeth on the surface are called the denticles. Cartilage-like mass is also known as odontophore. Radula is called the rasping organ and it is present in gastropod mollusks.

Complete answer:
Radula helps the microscopic filamentous algae to feed directly to the plants. It acts as the chitinous ribbons which are used to cut or scrap the food before entering the oesophagus. The teeth are constantly shed or may be regrown sometimes. This radula is called the organ and it is presented in the pila. The radula of pila presents in the buccal cavity which appears in the brownish color. This radula breaks the food into small particles.
Odontophore helps to move the body and also gives protection. It is in a ribbon like structure and made of muscular material. Radula membrane is the upper part of the thin layer presented above the odontophore. It is the second layer of the gastropoda radula. Teeth radula called denticles present in the thousands of rows in the layer. It has two ends called distal and proximal. Damage occurs at the distal end and new growth occurs at the proximal end.

Note:
In the radula sac two cells are available; they are called ameloblasts and odontoblasts. Odontoblasts help the growth of new teeth. After the insects, mollusk families have a large number of species. Some of the examples are snails, snugs, and gastropods. Radula is the unique feature in the mollusks family which is found in every class of mollusk except in the bivalve.