Worm+Behavior

//**How do earthworms move? **//

Though earthworms have no bones, their complex system of muscles enables them to wiggle and quickly alternate between being short and fat to long and thin. Earthworms use tiny hairs on their body (called //setae//) to anchor themselves to the soil and pull themselves forward. Earthworms have **simple brains** which specialize in directing body movement in response to light, and not much else. To show how simple the brain is, if an earthworm's brain is removed, changes in its general behavior are hardly noticeable.  Earthworm setae

//**Do earthworms keep the soil healthy? **//

One important thing that earthworms do is to //plow the soil// by tunneling through it. Their tunnels provide the soil with passageways through which air and water can circulate, and that's important because soil microorganisms and plant roots need air and water just like we do. Without some kind of plowing, soil becomes compacted, air and water can't circulate in it, and plant roots can't penetrate it.



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