5/10/2017 ObservationofaLivingEarthworm

Name(s)_________________________________________________

ObservationofaLivingEarthworm
1.EarthwormsbelongtotheKingdom____________________thePhylum___________________.

2.ListtwocharacteristicsofAnnelids

3.NametwootherorganismsinthesamePhylum.

4.Placetheearthwormonamoistpapertowelinadissectingpan.Observetheworm
asitmoves.Theleadingendistheanteriorend,theoppositeistheposteriorend.
Rollthewormoverandobservewhathappens.ThesidethatthewormprefersUPis
thedorsalside.Thesideitprefersdownistheventralside.whichsidewas
dorsal/ventral/anterior/posterior.Whatothercluesontheearthwormwouldtellyouwhichendwaswhich?

5.ObservetheEarthwormforfiveminutes.Writeyourobservationsofitsactivityinthespacebelow.

Whatisahydrostaticskeleton?

Describehowthewormmoveswhatmusclesarenecessaryfortheearthwormtomove.Useyourbookasa
referencetosketchthe2muscles.

Nowthatyouarefamiliarwithyourworm,itistimetogiveitaname.Makesurethenameyouchooseis
appropriatefortheearthworm'ssex.

Nameofyourworm______________________

6.EarthwormsSizesUsearulertomeasurethelengthofyourwormincentimeters.Wormsaredividedinto
segments.Countthenumberofsegmentsonyourworm(hintyoumaywanttocountasmallportionoftheworm
andmultiply).Compareyourwormtothreeotherwormsintheroom

YourWorm Worm2 Worm3 Worm4

Length(cm)
NumberofSegments

Longerwormshave________________segments.(more,orless,orthesame)

7.Locatethethickeningoftheearthworm'sbodyataboutsegment30.(Segmentsarenumbered1to30,
onebeingthefirstsegmentonthehead.ThisswellingiscalledtheCLITELLUM

Istheclitellumlocatedmoretowardtheanteriororposterioroftheworm?

8.OnetheventralsideoftheearthwormaresmallbristlescalledSETAE.Theyaretootinytosee,butyoucan
feelthembyrunningyourfingersalongtheventralsideoftheworm.Alsonotethetinyopeningsat
aroundthe14thsegment.ThesearetheSEMINALRECEPTACLES,wherespermisexchangedbetweentwo
matingworms.

Whatisthefunctionofsetae?

Whatisthefunctionoftheopeningsatsegment#14?

9.Sketchtheearthworminthespacebelow.Labelthedorsalside,ventralside,posteriorandanteriorends.
Alsolabeltheclitellum,setae,andseminalreceptacles.

10.Studytheearthworm'shead.Doesitappeartohaveanysenseorgans,suchaseyes,ears,nose,or
mouth?Doyouthinktheearthwormiscapableofsensing...(makeyourpredictionsbelowyesorno)

Light?____Odor?____Sound?_____Taste?_____Touch?_____
https://www.biologycorner.com/worksheets/earthworm_observation_living.html 1/3
5/10/2017 ObservationofaLivingEarthworm

ResponsetoTouch(stimulation)
Placeadrypapertownononesideofthepanandamoistpapertowelontheother.Stretchthewormsothatit
laysacrossbothtowels.Observetheearthworm'sresponse.Whichdirectiondoesitmove.Performtentrials,
alternationtheworm'sheadsothathalfthetimeitlaysonthemoist,andhalfthetimeitlaysonthedrytostart
with.Recordtheworm'sresponsesinthetablebelow.

Headstartsondry Response(movestowardwetordry)>
Trial1
Trial2
Trial3
Trial4
Headstartsonwet
Trial1
Trial2
Trial3
Trial4

11.Usethedataabovetowriteaconclusionaboutwhethertheearthwormcansensewetnessordryness.You
maywanttoincludeotherinitialobservationsinyourconclusions.

12.Removethedrypapertowelfromthepanandletthewormjustmovearoundforawhile.Useapipettetodrop
awaterdropletonitsanteriorend.Recorditsreactions.Dropwateronitsposteriorendandrecorditsreactions

Responsetowaterdroponanteriorend________________________________

Responsetowaterdroponposteriorend_______________________________

Howdoyourtestssupporttheclaimthatearthwormscansensebeing
touched?

13.ResponsetoOdorObtainaQtipdippedinacetone(fingernailpolishremover).First,wavetheQtipnear
theworm'sposteriorend.andrecordthewormsreaction.Thenrepeatthisprocessattheanteriorend.Important
Donottouchtheworm,itistoxic!

Response

Ammoniaanterior_________________________________

Ammoniaposterior_________________________________

Doestheearthwormhaveasenseofsmell?Basedonyourdata,isthefrontorhindendmoresensitivetoodors?

https://www.biologycorner.com/worksheets/earthworm_observation_living.html 2/3
5/10/2017 ObservationofaLivingEarthworm

14.ResponsetoLightForthispartoftheexperiment,youwillbegivenaflashlightandtheroomwillbe
darkened.Discusswithyourpartneranddevelophowyouwilltestthewormsresponsetolight.

Describeyourexperiment.

Collectdataandconstructdatatable.

Writeconclusions

https://www.biologycorner.com/worksheets/earthworm_observation_living.html 3/3