Luminous Earthworms

Earthworms and Soil Pollutants

Although the toxicity of metal contaminated soils has been assessed with various bioassays, more information is needed about the biochemical responses, which may help to elucidate the mechanisms involved in metal toxicity. We previously reported that the earthworm, Eisenia fetida, accumulates cadmium in its seminal vesicles. The bio-accumulative ability of earthworms is well known, and thus the...

Collagen of the Earthworms

The problem of the complex configuration of the collagen in the Oligochaeta has not yet been conclusively solved. Since the last century, evidence has been found of a fibrous structure lying above the epidermis (constituting the cuticle) and of another one lying below it (constituting the supporting structures). The cuticle, easily examined by physical and chemical methods, was analyzed minutel...

Earthworms and Vermiculture Biotechnology

Earthworms and vermicomposting

A review is presented summarizing the global state-of-the-art, including the gist of the studies conducted by the authors, on vermicomposting. Studies on the impact of vermicast on plant growth are also reviewed. The paper brings out the suitability or otherwise of different species of earthworms to ‘bioprocess’ different types of organic waste. The paper also presents the gist of the studies–w...

The Total Luminous Efficiency of Luminous Bacteria

Methods are described for measuring the light emitted by an emulsion of luminous bacteria of given thickness, and calculating the light emitted by a single bacterium, measuring 1.1 x 2.2 micra, provided there is no absorption of light in the emulsion. At the same time, the oxygen consumed by a single bacterium was measured by recording the time for the bacteria to use up .9 of the oxygen dissol...