Need help with my writing homework on The Mechanism of Opening and Closing Trap Door. Write a 1250 word paper answering; The bladderworts (Utricularia sp) are characterized by the possession of some rather tremendously complex structures used for trapping known as suction bladders (Alkhalaf, Hubener, & Porembski, 2009). These highly specialized suction bladders are also responsible for digestion as well as absorption of captured prey. Utricularia tend to grow in marshy habitats, in streaming water or stationary water extending their roots up to several meters below the water surface (Davis, 2003). Just as the species name suggests, they are mainly found in some parts of Western Australia, South Wales as well as Victoria and Tasmania.

The suction traps are discoid in shape and hollow with a foliar origin. Their hollow cavity with an average length of about 2.5mm, referred to as the bladder, is filled with water. The bladder is made of a wall thickness of two cells (Adamec, Functional characteristics of traps of aquatic carnivorous Utricularia species, 2011). In the two different layers of cells, cells in the inner layer are elongated and arranged in a radial manner around the hinge region centrally located. These cells appear to be in concentric circular lines that reveal a constriction of the cells within this region. Thus these constrictions have been deemed to act as pre-folds to increase flexibility in opening and closing the trap door.

The bladder also has a glandular layer with a variety of glands as well as trichomes which are also located on the outer surface of the bladder. From the roof of the bladder, there is a beak-like extension that forms a canopy over the entrance curving downwards frontwards such that the base of the beak-like canopy is opposite the base of the trap. The entrance of the bladder is tubular with a very much in-slopping-like door.

Similarly, on the external side of the trap door, there are trigger hairs, which when touched by a prey organism, stimulate the opening of the trap door thereby making the prey suctioned into the trap before the door closes again to create water tight seal.