What is the yellow liquid which the worm releases?
The yellow liquid is not urine, which many people first guess. The yellow liquid, called coelomic fluid, is released when the worm is stressed, which often happens when students touch the worm. When a worm is placed on a student’s dry hand, the worm’s body will begin to dry out. The worm will start wiggling, trying to find its’ way back to the soil or bin, then release a yellow liquid in order to make its’ body moist again. Exposure to light also triggers the release of the coelomic fluid. This yellow liquid may smell like garlic, hence the scientific name Eisenia foetida. Foetida means smelly. When conducting experiments with worms, you may want to gently spray the worms with water every few minutes. • What happens if you cut a worm in half? Almost everyone wants to know the answer to this question. Some species of worms can regenerate, or re-grow, a new tail, if their tail is cut off. However, a worm cut too closely to its’ head will have difficulty growing a new tail. Most worms wil
