Earthworms are well-known invertebrates that can be found all over the world. Why are earthworms said to have large hearts?
Hearts (yes, plural!) are possessed by an earthworm. A worm has how many heart chambers? A worm has how many hearts?
So, let’s say ten. No, let’s say five hearts, or wait, let’s say worms don’t have hearts at all. Is this some sort of joke? No, not at all.
Depending on how a heart is defined. The answer can be 10, 5, or 0. Don’t be concerned. Continue reading for more information. Earthworms have no heart chambers, whereas humans have one heart with multiple chambers.
They don’t have a heart with chambers; instead, they have five pairs of aortic arches that run the length of their bodies.
These five pairs of aortic arches can be referred to as five hearts, despite the fact that they do not fit the general definition of a heart, which includes one organ with multiple chambers and an arch has none. If each of these aortic arches represents a heart, then a worm has ten hearts.
These tiny creatures do, in fact, have that many hearts. Isn’t it fascinating? However, if you consider a heart to be an organ with multiple chambers, the worm has zero hearts because all of the aortic arches lack chambers.
The aortic arches function similarly to the human heart’s single chamber. So, you can define a heart in any way you want. A worm can have five, ten, or zero hearts depending on this.
What is the significance of worms having five hearts? Why do you think an earthworm needs five hearts now that we know it has five?
They are creatures with extremely small bodies. Why are there so many hearts? Is it really necessary for earthworms to have so many hearts?
The aortic arches in an earthworm’s body are segmented and extend the length of its body. The aortic arches pump blood around the worms’ bodies.
The aortic arches, like the human heart, connect blood vessels (called dorsal and ventral vessels) to pump blood throughout an earthworm’s body.
This species requires these pairs of aortic arches in order to function as a normal heart.
