Answer:
2. This gives the worms two separate populations of offspring that have different chances of surviving. An added benefit of being a hermaphrodite is that if a worm never finds a mate, it can fertilize its own eggs and reproduce that way. Many hermaphrodites experience this benefit.
3. Surprisingly, earthworms have quite a few digestive organs in common with humans. Digestion starts in the mouth, which takes in soil. The food is then transferred to the pharynx, which swallows the dirt into the esophagus. Instead of a stomach, earthworms have a crop which stores food and connects to the gizzard.
Explanation:
4. Worm castings contain the worms' gut bacteria and mucus. These microbes and substances are very helpful to plants. Vermicompost has more nitrogen-fixing bacteria than conventional compost. Vermicompost helps make minerals in the surrounding soil available to plants more quickly.
5. Comparative anatomy is an important tool that helps determine evolutionary relationships between organisms and whether or not they share common ancestors. Anatomical similarities between organisms support the idea that these organisms evolved from a common ancestor.
