Some acorn worms produce bromide that provides to them a medicinal smelland defend them from bacteria and predators (New World Encyclopedia, 2008).

            In thecase of the protection against bacteria, there are two theories. Somescientists think that it is an antibiotic that protects the soft cuticle-freebody from infection while others rely on the thought that it is to avoid thatbacteria grow on the walls of the burrow and, consequently, it reduces the competitionfor oxygen (Mandal, 2012).