Earthworm Dissection

Photo Credit: All photos taken from

http://www.flushing.k12.mi.us/srhigh/mignerey/web%20dissections/earthworm%20web/Frameset.htm
Some content from: http://www.scienceclass.com/dissect/teacher_materials/glossary/earthworm_glossary.html
Various videos from both www.YouTube.com and www.arkive.com
 Overview Video

https://youtu.be/8p-GAX4Xb2A
External Anatomy
 Cuticle keeps the
worm from drying out
 Dorsal top part
 Ventral bottom part
 Clitellum- makes mucus
that dries up to form a
cocoon
 Prostomium covers
the mouth of the worm
 Mouth- opening at the
end allowing the intake
of food consisting of
particles of both living
and dead substances
 Setae bristle like
structures that help the
worm move
 Sperm Duct openings
in which sperm can pass
through
 Sperm groove sperm
moves along here from
sperm duct to another
worm
 Oviduct- tube through
which eggs pass
 Anus where
excrement (poop)
comes out
Internal Anatomy
Circulatory System

Dorsal
Aortic
blood
arches
vessel

Ventral
blood
vessel
Go To Nervous System
 Nervous System
Ganglion- group of
nerves. In the
earthworm, there is a
pair of ganglia in each
segment and a cerebral
ganglia acts like a brain
 Excretory System
Nephridium- filters
wastes. Almost each
segment of the worm
has a pair of nephridia.
 Digestive System
Food goes from the:

Mouth
Pharynx
Esophagus
Crop
Gizzard
Intestine
Anus
 Anus where
excrement (poop)
comes out
Reproductive System
 Seminal vesicles- store
sperm produced by the
earthworm
 Seminal receptacles-
paired organs that store
sperm received from
another worm during
copulation
 How do Earthworms Mate?
Earthworms are hermaphrodites which means
they have both mail and female body parts
 Worms line up head to tail
 Slime coats the clitellum
 As they do this the tube
passes over the sperm
ducts and picks up
sperm
 Down the sperm groove
 And mixes with eggs
that come out of the
oviduct
When free of the slime tube, the
cocoon closes up and the sperm and
eggs mix.

This sac is carried by a worm until

baby worms have developed, at which
point the sac breaks open and they
squirm free.