1. Kingdom: Animalia/Phylum: Annelida “Annelid worms”
Ex. Earthworms
Segmented
Invertebrates

2. Reproduction: Asexual
Asexual: regeneration/fragmentation
“Fragmentation is a self-produced, mechanical breaking of the organism into two or more pieces, followed by regenerative growth of missing parts in each fragment.”

3. Reproduction: Sexual
Hermaphroditic: contain both female and male organs, produces both sperm & eggs
exchange of sperm occurs between two worms
Mature sperm and egg cells are deposited in cocoons produced by the clitellum
ova (eggs) are fertilized by the sperm cells within the cocoon
The cocoon slips off the worm and is deposited in or on the soil The eggs hatch after about 3 weeks

4. Growth and development
Eggs hatch within 2-3 weeks if conditions are favorable
An average of 4 worms are produced from each cocoon
Worms can reproduce after 12 months

5. Regulation
The nervous system of the earthworm is "segmented" just like the rest of the body.
No true "brain" , but cerebral ganglia (dense bundles of nerves) are located at the anterior (head) end
If these cerebral ganglia are removed, the earthworm will move continuously.
Each segment has a ganglion which controls only that segment
Earthworms have touch, light, vibration and chemical receptors all along the entire body surface.

6. Nutrition: Heterotrophic
Most earthworms are scavengers that feed on dead organic matter.
nourishment is extracted from soil or leaves as they pass through the gut (digestive sys)
Note: does not require highly developed sense organs (such as eyes, which would be of little use underground) or food-catching structures

7. Excretion
urea (a nitrogenous waste product) is excreted through long tubules called nephridia
Part of these wastes are picked up from body tissues and the blood
The urea is expelled through the pores of the nephridia
Earthworms leave a trail of this expelled urea called “casings” which are full of nutrients

8. Transport: Circulatory System
Circulation occurs through a series of closed vessels.
The two main vessels, pumping structures, are the dorsal and ventral blood vessels. Although some say that they have 5 “hearts,” they are not true hearts.
Capillary beds branch off the main vessels to pick up or release nutrients and, oxygen

9. Synthesis:
1st Food particles taken in by heterotrophs are broken down by digestive enzymes into smaller building blocks usually by hydrolysis reactions (breaking apart by H2O).
Carbohydrates glucose
Proteins amino acids
Fats fatty acids, glycerol
Nucleic acids nucleotides (n-base, sugar, phosphate)

10. Synthesis, con’td
2nd These building blocks are then synthesized into the large molecules needed by the cell usually through dehydration reactions (linking together by the removal of H2O).
Glucose + glucose carbohydrates
Amino acid + amino acid proteins
Fatty acids + glycerol fats, lipids
Nucleotide + nucleotide nucleic acids

11. Respiration Moist skin is the respiratory organ of the earthworm
Oxygen and carbon dioxide simply diffuse through the skin.