The Tacoma Knife Massacre

By: Ariana PerkinsMr. Leingang’s third period science class

Question• How does cutting worms in different sections of their body effect if they will regenerate?

Hypothesis• AS I cut worms in different areas then the worms I cut in the middle will regenerate because each new worm will have a even amount of body to start with.

Materials• Worms • Knife• Tank• Soil• Camera

Variables

• MV: Location of incision • RV: If worms regenerate from certain area of Incision • CV: Knife, Insect, Time length of waiting for regeneration

Background Information• Earthworms are very interesting creatures. Though they are small and seem so

helpless they are actually very gifted in regenerating their body when they are pulled apart. I will tell you about their predators, habitat they live in, and what I plan to experiment on them. Earthworms are the survivors of nature.

• Earthworms have many natural predators that hunt them. For instance, the Bird is probably their main predator, like the Robin. The earthworms are always being hunted by birds, if they are seen they have instant death from these flying fiends. They also have other predators like many different types of fish. Fisherman use them as bait. So technically humans are earthworm’s worst predators, when we search for them to use as bait. These are just a few of the many predators that eat earthworms.

• Earthworms also have certain habitats they live in. From the Earthworms name you would think they live in the earth. But they actually live in decomposing plants and vegetation. They also live in fecal matter from animals. But some worms do live in earth also. These are just a few of earthworms habitats they live in.

• I plan to do something very interesting with the earthworms that I have collected. I plan to cut a few worms in two different locations and see if it matters where the earthworm is cut for it to regenerate. I will cut a few worms in their midsection and cut the other few closer to the end of their body. I think the worms that I cut in their midsection will regenerate and live. This is what I plan to do with the earthworms.

• Therefore, earthworms are very odd and interesting creatures to me. I have told you about their many predators. I have also told you about the habitats they choose to live in. I have also told you what I plan to do to them in my experiment. Earthworms are amazing survivors of nature.

Abstract • The purpose of my project is to see if

it matters the location of a cut on a worm for them to regenerate.

• I believe that the worms I cut in the midsection will regenerate

• Possible sources of error are already dying worms or a bad incision point.

Procedure• 1.Set up see diagram• 2.cut first five worms with knife in

midsection• 3.Wait till the worms regenerate or

die• 4.Record how many regenerate• 5.Repeat steps 1-5 when cutting

worms closer to the end

Conclusion• I thought that if I cut earthworms in two different areas

then the worms I cut in in the midsection would be the worms to regenerate. My results showed that both the worms I cut in the midsection and the worms I cut near the end regenerated. I can prove this because when I tested for four days and at the end of my experiment every piece of worm was still perfectly alive. The difference between the different places I cut them was zero because every worm survived and regenerated. This rejects my original hypothesis because I thought only the worms I that I cut in the midsection would survive but all of them did. Therefore if I cut worms in the midsection and near the end then all the worms will survive if they are kept under reasonable conditions.

Data TableWorms cut down midsection Worms cut near the end

1st Half 2nd Half Large Half Small Half

1. Regenerated Regenerated 1. Regenerated Regenerated

2. Regenerated Regenerated 2. Regenerated Regenerated

3. Regenerated Regenerated 3. Regenerated Regenerated

4. Regenerated Regenerated 4. Regenerated Regenerated

5. Regenerated Regenerated 5. Regenerated Regenerated