v Earthworms belong to the class Oligochaeta of the phylum Annelida. v The annelid phylum contains over 1,000 worms. v Many species of earthworms grow to a length of only a few centimeters, but some tropical species reach a length of up to 3.3 meters! v An outer series of circular or transverse muscle fibers girdle the body and an inner series of longitudinal muscle fibers are used to move the earthworm. They are able to burrow …showed first 75 words of 304 total…

…showed last 75 words of 304 total…The mouth and the anus.) Food is broken down both mechanically and chemically in the digestive tract. Usable nutrients are then absorbed into the body cells. v Earthworms play an important role in soil ecology. They sir up and loosen soil that they burrow through, enabling it to be aerated by their actions. They are valuable to farmers because they help to make the soil more fertile and better able to fertilize plants. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**