Helminths Flashcards
flatworms
have flattened bodies that are slender and broadly leaflike (Trematodes - flukes) or long and ribbonlike (Cestodes - tapeworms); roundworms (Nematodes) have round bodies
multicellular eukaryotes which
lack cell walls
size
from microscopic (flukes) to 10 meters long (some tapeworms)
holdfasts
(hooks, suckers, etc.) attach parasitic forms to host tissues
Helminths reproduction:
sexual - mating leads to fertilized eggs (ova) which are released into the environment, to mature into offspring; Cestodes and Trematodes are generally hermaphroditic (one worm possesses both male and female reproductive organs)
Physiology:
food intake - roundworms ingest food; flatworms absorb nutrients
importance and habitat
decomposers are found everywhere (especially roundworms); parasitic forms cause disease in plants or animals