Excretory System of Earthworm

Nitrogenous waste products of the body are removed out with the help of excretory organs. In
earthworm, excretory organs or nephridia are segmentally small coiled tube like structure called
micronephridia. These are microscopic in appearance. It is found in all segments except 1st three
segments. The nepridia can be divided into three parts on the basis of their position. Viz, septal
nephridia, integumentary nephridia and pharyngeal nephridia.

1. Septal nephridia: - Septal nephridia are largest nephridia. It is attached to the body behind 15th
segments. It consists of three main parts.
a) Nephrostome: - The nephrostome is a large
spherical elliptical pore surrounded by ciliated
funnel in the coelom. The funnel or mouth is
bounded by upper and lower ciliated lips. It is
followed by short narrow ciliated tube called neck.
The neck is bent itself and opens into the main
body. The nephrostome absorbed nitrogenous
contents of coelomic fluid due to movement of
cilia.
b) Body: - It is largest tubular part of the nephridia. It
consists of short straight lobe and long spirally
twisted lobe. The twisted loop consists of
proximal and distal limbs. The distal limb
communicates with straight lobe while proximal
limb is connected with the neck and the terminal
duct.
c) Terminal duct: - It is a short narrow ciliated tube.
The duct finally leads into septal excretory canal
on the septum.
The septal nephridia are arranged in circular rows
around the intestine, two rows in front and two
rows behind the septum. Each row bears 40-50
nephridia on both sides of the septa, behind 15th
segment. All parts of the nephridia are free in the
coelom except the terminal duct. The terminal
duct of nephridia opens into a pair of septal
excretory canals and it runs along dorsal septa and
leads into a pair of supra intestinal excretory ducts.
It runs parallel to the intestine (above) and dorsal
blood vessel (below). The supra intestinal ducts
carry nitrogenous contents and it discharged into
the lumen of gut through short ductule hence this
type of nephridia are called Entero-nephric
nephridia.

2. Pharyngeal nephridia: - The pharyngeal

nephridia are three pairs of large tufts lying in
the segments 4rd, 5th, and 6th on either side of
the alimentary canal. Each tuft consists of large
number of nephridia as resemble to the septal
nephridia in size but these are closed type ie;
absence of nephrostome. The terminal duct
unit to form a single large duct in each tuft of
nephridia. The pharyngeal nephridia discharged
nitrogenous contents into the alimentary canal
(buccal cavity and pharynx) and also help in
digestion hence this is called Peptonephridia.
3. Integumentary nephridia: - These are small, V-
shape with a short straight lobe and twisted
loop but absence of nephrostome. They are
attached on inner lining of the body wall in all
segments except 1st three segments. About
200- 250 nephridia are found in all segments
except clitellar region where number of nephridia are about 2000- 2500. Each nephridia opens to
outside through nephridiopores, called Exo-nephric nephridia. [forest of nephridia].

Physiology: The nephridia are main excretory organs of earthworm. It collects nitrogenous contents from
the body. Septal nephridia absorbed nitrogenous waste from coelomic fluid by movement of cilia of
nephrostome and it transferred to the terminal duct from short straight lobe and distal limb. The
excretory products are composed of 50% urea, 10% ammonia and 40% amino acid and water.
Earthworm is ureotelic and ammonotelic animal.

GOOD LUCK