Flame Cells (Flatworm Cleaners)

A flicker inside a flatworm

Flatworms are soft, flat worms. One kind, the planarian, glides along the bottom of ponds and streams. It has two eyespots that make it look cross-eyed!

All through a flatworm's body are flame cells. Each one is shaped like a little cup. Inside the cup is a bunch of tiny hairs called cilia that beat very fast.

When scientists looked at them under a microscope, the beating hairs flickered like a candle flame. That's how flame cells got their name.

Pumping out extra water

Flatworms living in fresh water soak up water all the time, a bit like a sponge. Too much water would make them swell up.

The beating hairs in flame cells push extra water, along with some waste, into thin tubes. The tubes carry it out through tiny holes in the worm's skin.

Your kidneys do a similar job for you. They keep the right amount of water in your body and clean out waste.

Flame cell quiz