The soft, fluid‑filled flexible body of the earthworm enables it to couch through soil using its unique set of muscles and internal fluid to maintain shape.

Introduction

Earthworms are unremarkably establish in healthy soils, whether it's your backyard or a grassland. They are soft, slimy tube-shaped organisms without a skeleton or limbs. Earthworms are decomposers that add air and disperse nutrients in the soil as they couch. Every bit decomposers, they swallow dead organic material such equally leaves and roots. Afterwards consuming the fabric, they intermission information technology down and excrete information technology as nutrients. The spreading of nutrients enhances the health of the soil, benefitting the earthworm'south customs of living organisms.

The Strategy

The soft, flexible body of the earthworm is divided into segments, which allows information technology to easily move through the soil to find food. The earthworm's trunk is also known every bit a hydrostatic skeleton, which is a flexible skeleton filled with fluid. A mutual earthworm (50. terrestris ) can range from 110-200 mm in length with anywhere from 135-150 segments in its body.  Each segment of the worm's body contains muscles that piece of work independently of every other segment.  The internal walls separate the segments and are lined with circular and longitudinal muscles. Circular muscles are wrapped around the circumference of each segment Longitudinal muscles extend down the length of each segment. The muscles create a soft barrier between segments, allowing the segments to exist controlled independently. Inside each segment, in that location is fluid that holds the segment's shape. As the earthworm burrows, it squeezes into tightly packed soil. This creates a high-pressure environment that could damage the worm. Nevertheless, the fluid within the segments helps prevent damage to the earthworm. Fluid cannot change volume because the molecules in the fluid are very close together. The high-pressure environment cannot press the molecules fifty-fifty closer, thus maintaining the earthworm's shape.

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Earthworm

During an earthworm's move, circular and longitudinal muscles take turns contracting. To movement forward, circular muscles in the front end of the body contract. Contracting those muscles makes the segments thinner and longer, allowing the worm to reach forwards. The earthworm likewise relies on anchors, called setae, which are short strong hairs that can concord onto the soil. Setae extend out of the skin and agree the front of its body to the soil. Once anchored, longitudinal muscles in the forepart of the body contract. Contracting those muscles makes the segments shorter and fatter. The front of the body shortens, pulling the dorsum of the body forrard. Then setae from the front end of the body retract and the setae in the back of the body anchor to the soil. The process repeats itself equally the earthworm makes its way through the soil. The movement of the earthworm is wave-similar, as muscles take turns lengthening and then shortening.

To watch a video of an earthworm in activity, run into this video from Encyclopedia Britannica, or the video from Shape of Life embedded below.

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This video from Shape of Life discusses the ecological role of earthworms equally decomposers and demonstrates how they move and burrow.

The Potential

An earthworm has a special power to clamber through tight spaces. Humans have designed robots to mimic this crawling move. These robots could be made to burrow deep underground and distribute materials or exam secret conditions quickly without the need to dig large holes.

This strategy was contributed by Sue White and edited by Natalie Chen.

Last Updated July two, 2020