THERE is a common myth that if you were to cut an earthworm in half crosswise, you would end up with two worms. Is this true?

Verdict:

FALSE

If an earthworm were to be cut in two, you usually end up with one dead worm.

If the worm is lucky and there are enough of its segments on the mouth half left, it might regenerate its tail end and survive.

The rear half, however, will die.

But this really depends on how much has been cut off at either end and the type of earthworm.

If they only lose a few segments of the front end, in other words just the tip, it might be able to regenerate them.

While earthworms are simple animals, they are not so simple as a mere tube with a mouth and a rear-end.

They do have organs that are necessary for their survival, so cutting them in half literally means cutting them off from the parts they need to live.

Earthworms have seven basic organ systems, namely their respiratory, circulatory, muscular, digestive, excretory, nervous, and reproductive systems.

The nervous and circulatory systems play an enormous role in keeping the animal alive, and the most important parts of these systems are found in the front of the worm.