Rhabdite Cells (Flatworm Slime Rod Makers)

Rods packed like pencils

Flatworms like the planarian are soft worms that live in ponds and streams. They don't have a shell or hard skin.

Rhabdite cells sit in and just under a flatworm's skin. Each one is packed with tiny rods called rhabdites, lined up like pencils in a box.

Rods that turn into slime

The cells push their rods out onto the skin. When a rod meets water, it swells up and turns into slimy mucus.

Scientists think this slime helps the worm in a few ways:

• It helps cover and protect the worm's soft body.
• It adds to the slime path the worm glides on. Tiny beating hairs on its belly push it along.

You make mucus too. It's the slime in your nose that traps dust and germs.

Rhabdite cell quiz