Monday, March 5, 2007

Digestion

Phylum Annelida: Digestion



The digestive system of annelids consists of an unsegmented gut that runs through the middle of the body from the mouth, located on the underside of the head then to the anus. The gut is separated from the body wall by the body cavity, called the coelom. The segmented compartments of the coelom are usually separated from each other by tissue, called septa, which are separated by the gut and by blood vessels. Except in the leeches, the coelom is fluid filled and functions as a skeleton, providing the animal with rigidity necessary for muscular movement.

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