Questions and Answers
What is a crop?
Digestive system sac in which earthworms store ingested soil.
What is the function of the gizzard?
Grinds up food.
What are nephridia?
Excretory structures in earthworms in each body segment.
What do seminal vesicles do?
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What is the role of seminal receptacles?
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What is the prostomium?
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What is the clitellum?
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What is the function of a cuticle?
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What are setae?
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What are aortic arches?
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What is the function of the pharynx?
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What does the dorsal blood vessel do?
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What is the ventral nerve cord?
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What is a closed circulatory system?
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What is an open circulatory system?
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What is internal fertilization?
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What is external fertilization?
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What does anterior mean?
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What does posterior mean?
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How do earthworms mate?
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What is unique about the worm circulatory system?
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How do earthworms respirate?
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Study Notes
Digestive System
- Crop: A sac in the digestive system of earthworms for storing ingested soil.
- Gizzard: A thick muscular organ found in birds, earthworms, and grasshoppers that grinds food.
- Pharynx: A passageway for solid food, liquids, and air within the digestive tract.
Excretory and Reproductive Structures
- Nephridia: Excretory structures located in each body segment of earthworms.
- Seminal Vesicles: Two glands that secrete a sugar-rich fluid to nourish and aid sperm movement.
- Seminal Receptacles: Structures that receive sperm from another earthworm.
- Clitellum: Specialized band that secretes a mucus ring for egg and sperm release during reproduction.
Body Coverings and Movement
- Cuticle: A tough, flexible protective covering that keeps the organism moist.
- Setae: Bristle-like structures that assist segmented worms in movement.
Circulatory System
- Aortic Arches: Heart-like organs in earthworms responsible for pumping blood.
- Dorsal Blood Vessel: Carries blood toward the head of the earthworm.
- Ventral Blood Vessel: Carries blood toward the tail end of the worm.
- Closed Circulatory System: Blood circulates only within blood vessels, found in earthworms and humans.
Respiratory System
- Earthworms lack lungs and respire through their skin via diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide, requiring moist skin.
- They release body fluids and mucus to keep skin damp and typically surface at night to reduce evaporation.
Fertilization and Reproduction
- Earthworms are hermaphroditic, possessing both male and female reproductive organs.
- They require a mate for reproduction, exchanging sperm during mating.
- Eggs are stored and fertilized within a cloacal tube before being deposited in the soil as cocoons.
Anatomical Orientation
- Anterior: Refers to the front side of the earthworm.
- Posterior: Refers to the back side of the earthworm.
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Description
Test your knowledge on the anatomy of earthworms with this set of flashcards. Each card provides a key term such as 'crop' and 'gizzard,' along with their definitions related to the earthworm's digestive and excretory systems. Perfect for students of applied biology!