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Radula facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Radula diagram3
Transverse view of the buccal cavity with the radula

The radula is the toothed chitinous ribbon in the mouth of most molluscs. It 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.

The radula is present in all molluscs except bivalves, and only in molluscs. For example, Gastropods use it to graze and scrape diatoms and other microscopic algae off rock surfaces and other substrata. Squid use it for cutting up their prey.

Images for kids

  • Ghost Slug teeth

    Radula and individual tooth of the predatory ghost slug, Selenochlamys ysbryda

  • Radula docoglosse

    Microscopic detail of a docoglossan radula showing the denticles or teeth

  • Land Snail radula tracks

    Tracks made by terrestrial gastropods with their radulas, scraping green algae from a surface inside a greenhouse

  • Tentacle, mouth (with radula) and eggs of Planorbarius corneus snails

    Upper right: Mouth of a Planorbarius corneus freshwater snail with the radula visible.

  • Deroceras laeve radula 400 orcein

    Radula (magn. 400x) of the gray garden slug (Deroceras laeve) showing the chitinous lingual ribbons with numerous inward-pointing denticles

  • Illex illecebrosus teeth

    Radular teeth of the squid Illex illecebrosus

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Rádula para niños

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Radula Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.