While worms aren’t that much on the attractive side, they are beneficial to our environment. Moreover, they can be quite fascinating. One of the things that you’ll find interesting is their bodies. For instance, since they appear all wiggly and soft, you may wonder if they have bones at all.
So, you may ask: do worms and earthworms have bones? No, worms and earthworms don’t have bones. While we have internal skeletons and other animals have an exoskeleton, worms don’t have any of the two. In short, worms and earthworms are nothing but bare muscles wriggling around, making them vulnerable. Still, it helps them move without restrictions.
Worms may not be the attractive kind of animal. However, for curious minds, they can be just as entertaining, if not more. In this article, we’ll tackle their body structure and how they live without bones.
Without further ado, let’s get into it!
Contents
Do worms have a skeleton?
Worms do not have a skeleton as we do. Further, they do not have a protective hard exoskeleton as an insect.
It will be easier to understand if we compare worms to other insects and us.
If you look at our human bodies, we don’t have an outer shell, but we have a skeleton that keeps us intact.
On the other hand, some animals don’t have skeletons like us, but they have an exoskeleton or an outer shell that protects them.
Worms don’t have either of the two kinds of skeleton. In essence, they are quite fragile since they are just like long bundles of bare muscles.
With such a build, they can’t protect themselves from predators and other dangers. In short, their body is perfect for them since they remain underground. If they get out of the ground, they can lose their lives in a matter of minutes.
Related Articles About Worms Anatomy:
- Do Worms and Earthworms Have Legs?
- Do Worms and Earthworms Have Ears?
- Do Worms And Earthworms Have Lungs?
- Do Worms And Earthworms Have Blood?
How many bones do worms have?
As I said, worms don’t have bones. The thing is that many people (mostly children) confuse earthworms with snakes.
Worms are invertebrates, which means they have no bones. On the other hand, snakes are vertebrates. While they don’t have bones like ours, they do have a bony skeleton and many ribs.
In general, worms have no bones, and they consist only of muscles that need constant moisture.
For this reason, worms are one of the most fragile and vulnerable animals. It’s also the reason why they need to remain underground to survive.
Without the soil, they would get exposed to many dangers. They can dry out under the harsh sunlight. They can become prey to many predators. They also won’t find any food outside the soil.
Still, with such a build, they are perfect for living underground. The humidity of the ground helps worms maintain the moisture in their bodies.
It is also perfect since their build allows them to navigate the ground and gather the nutrients they need.
How do worms live without bones?
Since worms live without bones, there is nothing that obstructs their movement. Their bodies are free from the rigid structures that can interfere with actions.
Earthworms live through navigating underground. Further, they only have light and dark receptors instead of eyes. Such tools can tell them whether they are in the dark or the light.
If they are in the dark, it usually means they are under the ground. If worms are in the light, it means they are above the ground or in any area with light.
One important thing to note is that the receptors work more than just mere senses.
Since worms live underground, their bodies tend to be sensitive to the sun should they ever go to the surface.
While the dark receptors help worms navigate underground, the light receptors alert them to go under if they detect light.
This way, worms remain underground and tries to go down should they detect light.
In general, their movements are much more comfortable and have relatively no restrictions. Thus, while they can be quite vulnerable, living without bones is still possible and useful.
Read also other articles about worms’ mouths, eyes, heads and brains, hair and hearts.
Is there any kind of worm with bones?
Since all worms are invertebrates, it means there isn’t any kind that comes with bones.
Of course, there is such a thing as bone worms, zombie worms, or even bone-eating worms. However, it only goes by the name, and they essentially don’t have bones at all.
Worms are animals that survive by living underground. Thus, while they can be quite fragile with their body build, they can still thrive as long as they remain underground.
Summary
Worms never run out of ways to fascinate us, and they can surprise us with many interesting facts. One of these is how they can live without bones.
Worms have a unique build, unlike other animals or us. Unlike us, they have no internal skeleton to keep their bodies intact. Unlike other animals, they don’t have an exoskeleton or an outer shell for protection.
In essence, they have bodies consisting of nothing but muscles. Thus, they can be quite fragile and sensitive even to small things such as exposure to the sun and a simple dry environment.
Despite that vulnerability, worms live and thrive even without bones. For instance, since they have no bones, there’s nothing that restricts their movements.
Thus, they can move freely underground and contract their bodies according to whatever is necessary.
Resources
Image credits – Canva
