Earthworms?

Question

Is the fact that the kidneys are in pairs in the worm at all retained in our body? Which is harder the crop or the gizzard? What does it being harder say about its function?

What role do the aortic arches play in a worm? What is the equivalent organ in humans and to what body system does is belong? Why do humans have less than 5?

What is the function of the Seminal Vesicles and the Seminal Recepttacles? What are the equivalent organs in humans and to what body system do they belong?

What is the function of the Suprapharyngeal Ganglia? What is the equivalent organ in humans and to what body system does it belong? Has the bilateral apparance been retained in humans? If so or if not, what is it about the human organs that supports the answer (use specific structures)?

What is the function of the Ventral Nerve Cord? What is the equivalent organ in humans, and to which body system does it belong? What aspect of this organ differentiates the earthworm from members of our phylum?

Answer 1

10 points is not really enough for me to answer all this. Like the above person wrote, you probably would get answers to these questions by either reading your lab text or doing a dissection (or both). Wikipedia may also help you, but I would really suggest doing a dissection if you can.

Answer 2

Aortic Arches In Earthworms

Answer 3

> Earthworms?
They move soil. Charles Darwin wrote the definitive work on how earthworms move soil.

> Is the fact that the kidneys are in pairs in the worm at all retained in our body?
We have a pair of kidneys.

> Which is harder the crop or the gizzard?
Gizzard

> What does it being harder say about its function?
It has hard muscle, and is used for grinding the "food."

> What role do the aortic arches play in a worm?
These muscular blood vessels pump the blood.

> What is the equivalent organ in humans and to what body system does is belong?
Heart, circulatory system

> Why do humans have less than 5?
We can live, move, and reproduce with just one.

> What is the function of the Seminal Vesicles and the Seminal Recepttacles? What are the equivalent organs in humans and to what body system do they belong?
Seminal receptacles store sperm received from another worm. Humans do not have a corresponding organ, although one might argue that the female reproductive system -- the cervix, uterus, and a fallopian tube -- temporarily serve that purpose. Seminal vesicles have testes located within them. Again, humans don't have a directly analogous part, but if I had to choose, I'd say the testicle-scrotum complex. These are parts of the reproductive system.

> What is the function of the Suprapharyngeal Ganglia?
Coordination of nervous activity!

> What is the equivalent organ in humans and to what body system does it belong?
Brain. Nervous system.

> Has the bilateral apparance been retained in humans? If so or if not, what is it about the human organs that supports the answer (use specific structures)?
I will argue for yes -- our brain has a distinct left and right hemisphere, although they are well-connected through the corpos callosum.

> What is the function of the Ventral Nerve Cord?
Coordinates nerve impulses down the body, for coordinated movement of the body and within the body.

> What is the equivalent organ in humans, and to which body system does it belong?
Spinal cord. Nervous system.

> What aspect of this organ differentiates the earthworm from members of our phylum?
a) Our spinal cord is dorsal.
b) Our spinal cord is enclosed in a protective sheath; in the case of most chordates, it's the spinal column and is made of bone. In the rest of the chordates, it's the notochord.

Answer 4

I assume you were supposed to learn this material in the earthworm dissection lab. Refer to your lab manual. The instructions probably tell you all of this.

We really shouldn't just answer your whole lab assignment.