Earthworm Dissection Lumbricus terrestris Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Annelida
Welkom Biology Project
Students should Identify the following
Segments Septum Setae Pharynx Esophagus Crop Gizzard Intestine Aortic Arches Ventral Nerve Cord Dorsal Blood Vessel Clittelum Seminal Vesicles Seminal Receptacles
Students should know the following terminology
Invertebrate Castings Hermaphroditic Hydrostatic Skeleton Closed Circulatory System
Students will use the following tools for the earthworm dissection
Scalpel Probes Dissecting Pins Rubber Padded Dissecting Tray
Scalpel
Probe
Dissecting Pins
Dissecting Pan
Before you start dissecting, find the following:
Mouth Setae the bristles used for locomotion. They are located by rubbing your fingers along the earthworms body. They are often times easier to feel than to see. Sperm Duct Clittelum
Mouth
Sperm Duct
Clittelum
Mouth
Pin your worm at the tip of the mouth and at its midpoint.
Continue your cut to the mouth
Start your incision 2 cm behind the clittelum. Make sure not to cut too deeply.
Begin to separate the skin using pins
Pin the skin back as you go along the cut. Angle your pins outward so that are out of the way.
As you pin the skin back, take your probe and break the partitions between the segments. These are called Septum.
Pharynx
Aortic Arches Earthworms have 5 pair of these simple hearts.
Aortic Arch
Seminal Vesicles
Seminal Receptacles
Crop
Gizzard
Intestine
Dorsal Blood Vessel
Ventral Nerve Cord
Ventral Nerve Cord
Brain
Nerve Cord and Brain