What is the radula?
Q: What is the radula?
A: The radula is the toothed chitinous ribbon in the mouth of most molluscs that is used for cutting and chewing food before it enters the esophagus.
Q: How is the radula compared with the human tongue?
A: The radula can be compared with the tongue of human beings but, unlike our tongue, it is used for cutting and chewing food before it enters the esophagus.
Q: Which molluscs have the radula?
A: All molluscs except bivalves have the radula.
Q: What is the function of the radula in gastropods?
A: Gastropods use the radula to graze and scrape diatoms and other microscopic algae off rock surfaces and other substrata.
Q: How do squids use the radula?
A: Squids use the radula for cutting up their prey.
Q: Is the radula present in any other animals besides molluscs?
A: No, the radula is present only in molluscs.
Q: What is the radula made of?
A: The radula is made of chitin, a tough and flexible polysaccharide that is also found in the exoskeleton of arthropods like insects and crustaceans.
