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This was thought to be the truth until recent years.

Not many worms will survive such an experience.Even if some worms may survive a division, much the same as a human being may survive if their legs are chopped off, they are suspect to bacterial infections and bleeding to death like us. (Not bleeding as such, but their form of similar "stuff" what-ever that actually is :-) )

In most worms, depending on exactly where they are cut, only the part actually including the head or the part with the mouth, might be able to survive. This depends much on which internal organs if any is severely damaged.

I am sort of certain that I have read about worms actually being able to be split in half and both surviving. Possibly the tape worm found in stomachs and intestines of some infected hosts.

These worms are however not similar to earthworms. they are build up by sections where every section is capable of sustaining life itself.

Even if both parts of an earthworm is able to survive the act of being cut in half, the rear part would need to form a new head or mouth really fast. This uses a lot of energy as in nutrition. The worm-part can not eat whilst forming this new part and would most likely die off before being able to absorb nutrition again.

Science has not dismissed the possibility of a new mouth on an earthworm forming but the chances are low.

Many "animals" or shellfish do form new body-parts if they loose one part, but none of which will be able to sustain life if actually split in half at the middle. At best, only the part with the head will be able to sustain further life.

Worms however are quite different. They do not have one single brain as such. Often the "brain" is divided in a long part stretching along the worms body. When this "brain" is split in half, each half's will do their best to control their part of the "machinery" left.

Main problem is still that one brain will run out of energy due to lack of ability to consume food. Reserves as in humans, "fat", might be enough to form a new mouth and make the worm able to eat again.

There is a possibility, but most second parts die off due to lack of nutrition even if the ability to form a new mouth and head is still present.

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14y ago
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AnswerBot

4mo ago

No, if an earthworm is cut in half, the front end may survive and regenerate its tail, but the back end will likely die since it does not have the necessary organs to survive on its own.

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15y ago

Yes but if it breaks in quarter all of it will die.

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14y ago

Yes

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Q: If a earthworm breaks in half will both ends live?
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