Annelida: Segmented Bodies

The fundamental characteristic of the phylum is the division of the body into a linear series of cylindrical segments, or metameres. Each metamere consists of a section of the body wall and a compartment of the body cavity with its internal organs. The external divisions, which may be seen in the common earthworm, correspond to the internal divisions. The annelid body consists of a head region; a trunk, made up of metameres; and an unsegmented terminal region called the pygidium. In some primitive members of the phylum the metameres are identical, or very similar to one another, each containing the same structures; in more advanced forms there is a tendency toward a consolidation of some segments and a restriction of certain organs to particular segments. Because of the soft nature of the annelid body, fossils are not common. Fossils of tube-dwelling polychaetes have been found, but there is scarcely any fossil record for earthworms and none for leeches.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Leech Reproduction
• Leech Predation and Digestion
• Leech Anatomy
• Class Hirudinea
• Oligochaete Reproduction
• Oligochaete Circulation and Respiration
• Oligochaete Digestion
• Oligochaete Anatomy
• Class Oligochaeta
• Archiannelida and Myzostomaria
• Polychaete Reproduction
• Polychaete Anatomy
• Sedentary Polychaetes
• Errant Polychaetes
• Class Polychaeta
• Reproduction
• The Nervous System
• Respiration
• Circulation
• Digestion
• The Body Wall
• Segmented Bodies
• Bibliography

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Zoology: Invertebrates