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Biology of the Earthworm

Biology of the Earthworm. Biology of the Earthworm. Among the most common invertebrate animals are the annelids or earthworms. The word, annelid, means “ringed” and refers to the segments found on all worms in this Phylum.

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Biology of the Earthworm

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  1. Biology of the Earthworm

  2. Biology of the Earthworm • Among the most common invertebrate animals are the annelids or earthworms. • The word, annelid, means “ringed” and refers to the segments found on all worms in this Phylum. • Each individual ring is called a somite and can be used to tell the age of the animal. • A mature worm has over 100 somites in its body. • They range in size from one-inch to the giant 11-foot worms of the tropics.

  3. Biology of the Earthworm 6. Earthworms live in soil which is chalky and moist. 7. They eat their way through the dirt and digest out any organic materials, excreting the rest as feces. 8. As they eat, a tunnel or burrow is formed from mucus which they produce in their skin.

  4. Digestive system It is a straight tube and runs from the first to the last segments. It consists of mouth(peristomium),buccal cavity , pharynx, oesophagus,a muscular gizzard, stomach, intestine and anus

  5. Biology of the Earthworm 9. The worm builds its burrow by forcing its head through cracks in the soil and eating it. 10. When they do this, they aerate and fertilize our gardens and help to further decomposition of decaying material.

  6. Biology of the Earthworm 11. After moving to deeper levels, the worms undergo a period of quiescence (quiesce comes from the word quiet). • During this time, they squeeze out about 70% of their body water in order not to freeze or dehydrate. • They roll up into a ball for a period of up to two months. • When spring rains or snow melt comes, they absorb water or re-hydrate themselves and return to life on the surface. • The average life span of an earthworm is about 4-5 years.

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