Utah People's Post

The Latest News from the Beehive State

Friday, February 26, 2021
Log in
  • National News
    • Female Caseworker Killed & Doctor Shot in Philadelphia
  • State News
    • Car Chase Leads to Drug Arrest
  • Tech & Science
  • Health
    • How to Prepare For Ticks Season
    • Magical Weight Loss Bean Scam
  • Sports
  • Business
You are here: Home / Tech & Science / How Earthworms Digest the Fallen Leaves

How Earthworms Digest the Fallen Leaves

August 5, 2015 Posted by Emma Carter

"earthworm digestive system bacteria dead leaves"

Earthworms are some of the most hardworking cleaners of the world.

A new study has finally uncovered how earthworms digest the fallen leaves that they so often like to feast on. Even though worms may not seem that interesting in general, we would be really in trouble if the little crawlers disappeared.

Not only do worms easily digest all dead matter on the ground, but by doing so, they actually bring the carbon of this matter back into the ground, making the soil richer. They also clean up the bigger part of the leaf pile-ups everywhere.

If they weren’t present, we would see much more dead laves everywhere, and that would really be depressing, wouldn’t it?

But the worms aren’t the only natural cleaning company of the Earth. They’re only a part of a larger alliance made up of all detritivores – fungi, bacteria, as well as some types of insects. They all eat up the dead matter lying on the ground. But recently, scientists have been fascinated by how worms manage to survive on such a diet which consists mainly of junk food.

You may think that a burger is pretty unhealthy and lacks nutritional value, but actual junk food has even less. Besides this, it’s most always filled with toxic elements and chemicals.

So, the nice people at the Imperial College of London have figured it out. Some of you may know that plants have a natural system to defend against digestion. They produce polyphenols, which are some kind of antioxidants and determine what color the plant is, but besides this, they also make their digestion difficult, especially for such simple organisms as worms, bacteria and the other detritivores.

To counteract the effects of polyphenols, worms use drilodefensins. Drilodefensins are molecules located in the guts of worms that break down dead plants. The worm has an intelligent way of recycling used drilodefensins, and it also produces the exact amount needed depending on the plants which it eats. The more rich in polyphenols the plant, the more drilodefensins the worm makes.

This way, worms can get fat. Really fat. With their flexible bodies, they can eat a lot – almost a third of their bodies. Imagine a 90 kilo man eating 30 kilos of food a day. That’s really a lot.

The research has also uncovered that there are much more drilodefenisns in the world than we could’ve ever imagined. Apparently, for every human there are about 2.2 pounds of the molecules.

So let’s remember, next time we see a worm, to thank him for all the work he is doing to keep our planet clean.

Image source: time.com

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Filed Under: Tech & Science

mm

About Emma Carter

Emma is a Europe based writer who never imagined that one day she would be covering news from all around the world. She holds a bachelor’s degree in linguistic studies and her love for words drove her to journalism. Emma is dedicated to social issues and believes that writing about justice and equality is a good start in leaving her footprint behind.

Woman working out at the gym

Just 23% of Americans Are Working Out Enough in Their Spare Time

June 29, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Poliovirus Therapy Gives Brain Cancer Patients New Hope (Study)

June 29, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

United Airlines airplane

Passenger Mysteriously Dies on United Airlines flight Bound for Boston

June 28, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Breakfast sandwich

Here Are Some Foods No Nutritionist Would Ever Eat

June 27, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Poppy flower

UN Warns of Surge in Opium-based Drugs and Cocaine Supply

June 27, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

U.S.-Canada border

French Jogger Detained 2 Weeks for Accidentally Crossing Border

June 26, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Plus size model

Normalizing Plus Size Could Fuel Obesity Crisis (Study)

June 25, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Giant manta ray

Unique Manta Ray Nursery Spotted off Texas Coast

June 23, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

The rainbow flag

WHO Scraps Transgenderism from List of Mental Illnesses

June 22, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

456 People Dead at U.K. Hospital after Taking too Many Painkillers

June 21, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Kenyan girls dancing

Kenyans Facing Poor Nutrition as Supermarket Shopping Is on the Rise

June 20, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Pages

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy GDPR
  • Staff
  • Terms and Conditions

Recent Posts

  • Just 23% of Americans Are Working Out Enough in Their Spare Time
  • Poliovirus Therapy Gives Brain Cancer Patients New Hope (Study)
  • Passenger Mysteriously Dies on United Airlines flight Bound for Boston
  • Here Are Some Foods No Nutritionist Would Ever Eat
  • UN Warns of Surge in Opium-based Drugs and Cocaine Supply
  • French Jogger Detained 2 Weeks for Accidentally Crossing Border
  • Normalizing Plus Size Could Fuel Obesity Crisis (Study)

Related Articles

  • Crosses on a wall

    Religious People Live Longer, Are Less Stressed than Atheists, Study

    Jun 15, 2018
  • Antineutrino Detector

    Scientists Discover an Even More Elusive Particle than Neutrinos

    Jun 5, 2018
  • Funny Albert Einstein

    Time Travel Is Already Here

    May 30, 2018
  • Planet 2003UB313

    Scientists Found Evidence that Elusive Planet 9 May Be Real

    May 18, 2018
  • Kuiper Belt Object

    This Asteroid in Kuiper Belt Is Nothing Scientists Have Seen Before

    May 11, 2018
  • Elephant raising its trunk

    Elephants Communicate with Their Feet, Scientists Confirm

    May 9, 2018
  • Starbucks store

    Black Men Settle for $1 Each after Racist Arrest at Starbucks

    May 3, 2018
  • Tech addiction

    Facebook Pioneers Forming Coalition to Lobby Against Tech Addiction

    Feb 5, 2018
  • Kaspersky Co-founder Natalia Kasperskaya

    Kaspersky Boss: Bitcoin Was Created by U.S. Govt to Fund CIA’s Black Ops

    Feb 1, 2018
  • Amazon Go shopper

    Amazon Gets Rid of Cashiers at Its Check-Out Free Store

    Jan 30, 2018

Categories

  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • National News
  • Nature
  • Provo
  • Salt Lake News
  • Science
  • Sports
  • State News
  • Tech & Science
  • Technology
  • Uncategorized
  • West Jordan
  • West Valley City
  • World

Copyright © 2021 utahpeoplespost.com

About · Privacy Policy · Terms of Use · Site Map · Contact

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn more.