Earthworm Dissection
by Benito Toscano - Guzman PAP Bio P6
Objectives
- To observe the external and internal structure of the earthworm.
Background Information
- The scientific name for the earthworm is, Lumbricina.
- Earthworms live in the soil, trees, under rocks, and on the banks of streams.
- Earthworms almost always eat dirt from the Earth, while earthworms mainly get eaten by birds.
- An adaptation of the Earthworm is their streamlined body because that lets them move easily through soil.
Before we begin, here is a picture to help you get familiar with the external anatomy of the earthworm.
Facts
- The Earthworm gets all its necessary nutrients from soil.
- Earthworms live about an average of 6 years.
- Earthworms can regenerate themselves.
Here is a cladogram that includes worms in it.
Here's a video that shows the anatomy of an earthworm.
Earthworm Anatomy
Here is a picture of me with our dissected earthworm.
Here is Annie and I's dissected Earthworm.
Here is a picture of our worm with different parts labeled.
The Digestive System of an Earthworm
The digestive system of a earthworm works in a very simple way. The earthworm tunnels in the Earth, and eats its favorite food- Soil! The worm eats it up top near the pharynx. Then it travels down, and sort of sits in the worm, inside of the intestine, which is why in the dissection there was soil in the worm. Then, the worm digests the soil, absorbs its nutrients in the intestine, and it expels wastes from the anus.