Question

Earthworms are

• A. Uricotelic under conditions of water scarcity
• B. Ammonotelic when plenty of water is available
• C. Ureotelic when plenty of water is available
• D. Uricotelic when plenty of water is available

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

Ammonotelic when plenty of water is available

Ammonotelic animals are the animals which excrete ammonia as an excretory product. Ammonia is highly soluble in water and requires a large amount of water for its excretion.

Earthworm is both ureotelic and ammonotelic. It excretes waste in the form of urea when present in soil because of less water available in the soil. Urea is far less toxic than ammonia and so can remain inside the body for a longer period without causing any ill effects inside the body. It turns ammonotelic when it is present in aquatic habitat as there is plenty of water so it can easily dissolve in water.

So, the correct answer is option B.