Step 1: Understanding earthworm respiration.
Earthworms perform respiration through their body surface. Their skin must remain moist for effective diffusion of gases like oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Step 2: Role of moisture in gas exchange.
Moisture helps dissolve respiratory gases and enables diffusion across the skin. Without moisture, diffusion becomes inefficient or stops completely.
Step 3: Effect of drying skin.
When the skin is dried using blotting paper, the respiratory surface loses moisture. This prevents oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide removal.
Step 4: Outcome on survival.
Due to failure in gaseous exchange, cellular respiration stops, leading to death of the earthworm.
Step 5: Evaluation of A and R.
Both Assertion and Reason are correct, and the reason directly explains why drying the skin leads to death.
Step 6: Final conclusion.
Thus, both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.