The Digestive System of a Transparent Nematode (Caenorhabditis elegans)
The transparent nematode can survive on many different kinds of bacteria. They thrive in mainly artificial environments such as a garden, rotting fruit, or compost piles. The digestive system of the C. elegans is broken up into two main parts, the pharynx and the intestine. The pharynx is a combination of a pump, and a grinder, and is mainly for breaking down foods and grinding them up. It takes in water and bacteria, pushes the water out, and grinds the bacteria. Next comes the intestine, a long tube that basically spans from the pharynx to the anus of the nematode. The intestine performs many of the actions needed to digest the food that the nematode eats, such as the chemical breakdown of foods. Finally, the food leaves the nematode's body through the anus.