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Earthworm Research Paper

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The earthworm is an eukaryote because it contains cells with nuclei. Moreover, the earthworm is a multicellular organism which means that it is an eukaryote as prokaryotes are unicellular. The lumbricus terrestris consists of several segments. These segments are referred to as septa. The middle segments have bristles called setae, which help the worm move around. It also has five hearts which are all used to circulate blood throughout the body of the worm. On the exterior, the earthworm has a cuticle over its skin. The cuticle has cells which release mucus, allowing an earthworm a greater amount of mobility in dirt. Furthermore, earthworms, have specialized photosensitive cells across its body as opposed to having eyes. The cell of an …show more content…

The oxygen is then absorbed by the blood and carbon dioxide is released. Cellular respiration is a set of chemical transformations in the cell which convert energy gained from food into ATP and then release waste products. In this process, there are two steps, glycolysis, and the Krebs Cycle. . First, the cells goes through glycolysis. One molecule of glucose is converted into two molecules of pyruvate, four molecules of ATP and two NADH molecules as well as water and heat. Then, the pyruvate is sent to the mitochondria, where it is taken apart to produce an acetyl group which joins the enzyme CoA to form acetyl CoA. This new molecule is then used in the Krebs Cycle. A 2-carbon acetyl group is then transferred to the four-carbon compound, oxaloacetate, in order to produce citrate. Afterwards, the cycle repeats itself continuously, leading to a product of two ATP, six NADH, two FADH, ,two QH, and four CO. Repeating this process is what gives earthworms their energy. Earthworms go through aerobic respiration because they require oxygen in order to create ATP. Anaerobic respiration is usually used by microorganisms usually found in deep underwater

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