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Earthworms are commonly found in moist, compost-rich soil, eating a wide variety of organic matters, [3] which include detritus, living protozoa, rotifers, nematodes, bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms. [4] An earthworm's digestive system runs the length of its body. [5]
The digestive tract is essentially a tube running the length of the body, but has a powerful muscular pharynx immediately behind the mouth cavity. In many species, the pharynx simply helps the worm suck in food, but in many aquatic species, it can be turned inside out and placed over food like a suction cup before being pulled back in.
In different earthworm families, the typhlosole appears to have multiple origins. The Lumbricidae, for example, have a typhlosole which is an infolding of all layers of the intestine wall, whereas in some other families (e.g. Megascolecidae), it is an infolding of only the inner layer, and in many earthworms it is absent.
Earthworms in this family have the ability to decompose lignocellulose, which requires assistance from microorganisms in their digestive system. [7] Aside from microorganisms, digestive enzymes such as amylase and cellulase , and proteins can be found in different regions of the gut .
Gizzard of a chicken. The gizzard, also referred to as the ventriculus, gastric mill, and gigerium, is an organ found in the digestive tract of some animals, including archosaurs (birds and other dinosaurs, crocodiles, alligators, pterosaurs), earthworms, some gastropods, some fish, and some crustaceans.
The developing digestive tube of an embryo forms as a blind pouch called the archenteron. In protostomes , the coelom forms by a process known as schizocoely . [ 6 ] The archenteron initially forms, and the mesoderm splits into two layers: the first attaches to the body wall or ectoderm , forming the parietal layer and the second surrounds the ...
However, 'earthworm' can be a source of confusion since, in most of the world, other species are more typical. For example, through much of the unirrigated temperate areas of the world, the "common earthworm" is actually Aporrectodea (=Allolobophora) trapezoides, which in those areas is a similar size and dark colour to L. terrestris.
An earthworm's digestive system consists of a mouth, pharynx, esophagus, crop, gizzard, and intestine. The mouth is surrounded by strong lips, which act like a hand to grab pieces of dead grass, leaves, and weeds, with bits of soil to help chew. The lips break the food down into smaller pieces.