PLANARIAN help please :)

[bradyissocool]

Ok well for my tenth grade biology class i have been assigned the apparently difficult task of cutting a planarian so that it will grow 2 heads...

ok well i realize i must cut it between the eyes but i have a few details the need to be answered...

ok first of all how can i get the darn thing to stay still for long enough so that i can get an accurate cut

and second exactly how far down his body must i cut...for example do i have to cut it beyond the neck, half way down its body, etc

and any other details are greatly appreciated

[mith]

I think they're pretty resilient in general

[LittleBeaver]

You could begin by using an anesthetizing agent or have someone hold it with tweezers and paper towels to make it be still so you can make your cuts. There are a number of ways to make it grow two heads: cut off the head around the neck region then make a midline cut starting at the neck region down to the about the last 2/5 of the remaining body length...or cut a middle to posterior chunk about 1/3 of its body length and throw away the head the tail...or cut off its head at the neck then starting from the tail make a midline cut up to the neck but leaving a short connecting region. These will all give different shapes that can come out looking very cool. Good luck!

[DoctorStein]

You can learn from this picture. What a sweet creature...