How to Grow Planaria

Planaria are a group of flatworms that live in marine and freshwater environments around the world. Planaria are known for their regenerative powers; when you cut a planarian into small pieces, each piece grows back into a complete flatworm within a week or two. Planaria are often used in science experiments. If you are observing or experimenting with planaria, you must provide fresh water and food to keep your flatworms alive.

Petri dish
Spring water
Pipette
Egg yolk
Beef liver
Number 3 blade scalpel

Instructions

- 1
  Keep planaria in a petri dish filled with bottled spring water kept at room temperature.
- 2
  Change the water every other day. While you change the water, store planaria in a pipette — a slender pipe or tube that can act as a siphon of sorts.
- 3
  Feed planaria about once a month. Feed brown planaria hard-boiled egg yolk and give brown and white planaria fresh beef liver. Planaria require about a pea-sized amount of yolk or bottle cap size of liver per 50 worms.
- 4
  Use a pipette to move a planarian to an empty petri dish filled with spring water. Cut the planaria with a number 3 blade scalpel. If you want to observe its regeneration, keep it in its own petri dish.

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