Vermes 1platyhelminthes
Vermes 1platyhelminthes
Vermes 1platyhelminthes
General Characteristics
They exhibit bilateral symmetry: anterior
and posterior ends are different; so are the dorsal (top) and ventral (bottom) surfaces The platyhelminths also exhibit some degree of cephalization Commonly referred to as the 'flatworms' because their bodies are dorsoventrally flattened. They are acoelomates This phylum (and all remaining phyla) possess 3 germ layers (=triploblastic) The mesoderm (third germ layer) gives rise to muscles, various organ systems, and the parenchyma, a form of solid tissue containing cells and fibers
Excretory System (osmoregulation) A network of water collecting tubules adjacent to flame cells or a protonephridia When cilia beat they move water into the tubules and out the body through pores called nephridiopores
Muscular System Below the epidermis are layers of circular and longitudinal muscle fibers; used in locomotion Nervous System Includes: anterior cerebral ganglia, longitudinal nerve cords, and some lateral nerves Most free living planarians and parasitic larval forms possess a variety of sensory organs (e.g., eye spots, statocysts, rheoreceptors)
Reproductive System Most are capable of some form of asexual reproduction (e.g., many turbellarians reproduce by fission) Most flatworms are hermaphroditic; however, they often pair with other individuals to exchange gametes
Platyhelminthes
Eumetazoa - animals with tissue Bilateria - have bilateral symmetry and are triploblastic.
Protostomia - a group of animals whose mouth develops from the blastopore, and the mesoderm forms from an area near the blastopore.
Platyhelminths Systematics
Traditional Classification Scheme 1. Class Turbellaria: Most free-living worms from terrestrial, FW and marine environments 2. Class Monogenea: All parasitic, mainly ectoparasites of fishes (e.g. found on the skin and gills) 3. Class Trematoda: All parasitic, mainly in the digestive tract of vertebrates a. Subclass Digenea - at least a 2 host life cycle; first host is a mollusc b. Subclass Aspidogastrea - most with only one host (mollusc) c. Didymozoidea - tissue dwelling parasites of fish 4. Class Cestoidea: All parasitic in all classes of vertebrates except agnathans; most have an intermediate host
Class Turbellaria
Free-living flatworms; mostly marine organisms Range in size from microscopic (interstitial species between sand grains) to extremely large (two feet) Locomotion
Most move by means of cilia and mucous Muscle contractions also permit turning, twisting and folding of the body
Nutrition Turbellarians are carnivores and prey on other animals or eat dead animal remains. Planarians have a muscular pharynx that they can insert into their prey and then pump to bring in food fragments These animals have a highly divided gut to greatly increase the surface area for digestion and absorption Senses They have well developed sensory structures, including eyespots, mechanoreceptors, and chemoreceptors
Reproduction Planarians are capable of asexual reproduction via fission Also capable of regeneration; exhibit both anterior- posterior and lateral polarity They are hermaphrodites but usually exhibit cross-fertilization The penis of some turbellarians is modified as a hollow stylet; sperm tranfer is by hypodermic impregnation, in which the copulating partners stab each other and inject sperm
Freshwater Planarians:
Dugesia
Polycladida moseleyi is distributed throughout the Mediterranean Sea and temperate eastern Atlantic. Its favored food are tunicates (Clavelina sp.). http://www.rzuser.uni-heidelberg.de/~bu6/flat0431.html
Class Monogenea
Parasitic Flukes Only one host Most external parasites Gyrodactylus Polystoma Can cause major economic losses to
fisheries
Class Trematoda
Flukes that live as parasites either on or in other organisms. Outer body lacks cilia; tegument has a layer of glycoproteins that are important in protection and absorption Possess 2 suckers: 1. Oral sucker which attaches to organs of the host 2. Ventral sucker or acetabulum; used to attach to host tissues
Types of Hosts
Often have complex life cycles that alternate between sexual and asexual stages. Most require at least 2 different kinds of hosts to complete their life cycle: 1. Definitive host (primary host) The host in which the parasite matures and reproduces (sexually) The host in which eggs are released 2. Intermediate host Hosts in which larval stages develop and undergo asexual reproduction Results in an increase in the number of the individuals
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Clonorchis
Human liver fluke - has two intermediate or
Cerceria
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Fasciola
Sheep liver fluke - metacercaria on grass.
Life cycle
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Schistosoma
Blood Flukes
Cerceria usually infect by burrowing through skin.
Schistosoma
Schistosoma spp. is a common blood fluke of Southeast Asia that causes shistosomiasis Humans are the definitive host; snails are the intermediate host In humans its eggs ultimately penetrates and damages intestinal tissue and tissue of the bladder A source of constant inflammation and eventually leads to deterioration of liver, spleen and other organs
Class Cestoda
General Morphology Nonciliated tegument composed of glycoprotein The anterior region is called a scolex; often armed with suckers and hooks Extending from the neck is a series of proglottids; contain the sex organs and eggs; no digestive system Mature eggs released through an opening in the proglottid or leave the host when the proglottids are separated from the main body of the worm.
Cestodes (cont.)
Can reach up to 50 ft. in length! No specialized sense organs Reproduce using proglottids (segments) Contain flame cells, nerves, muscles, male and female reproductive organs Shed in feces of host Taenia saginata beef tapeworm Taenia solium pork tapeworm
Tapeworm Structure
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Class Cestoda
Tapeworms Have distinct head structure (Scolex) and reproductive units called proglottids. Do not have a digestive system. Larva are oncospheres and cysticerci (bladder worms)
Taenia Dipylidium Echinococcus
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Taenia
Proglotid
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louse Note the two gential pores and reproductive systems in each proglottid.
Proglottid
Echinococcus
Hydatid cyst (cysticercus)- may scolices and
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