Platyhelminthes - Schistosoma Flashcards
Name and briefly describe the 4 major groups of Platyhelminthes
Trematoda - Parasitic flukes
Monogenea - Parasitic flatworms with 1 generation
Cestoidea - Tapeworms
Turbellaria - Free-living flatworms
What is known about the evolutionary origins of the Platyhelminthes?
They appear to all have a common ancestor, but Turbellaria is not considered a proper “Class”
In general, the platyhelminthes are ____ symmetrical
bilaterally
How is body symmetry related to cephalization?
Bilaterally symmetrical organisms tend to move in a forward direction, so it makes sense to have most sensory structures at the anterior end
The concentrated nervous tissue at the anterior end of a platyhelminth is referred to as
Ganglion
Briefly describe the structure of the platyhelminthes
Flattened. No circulatory system, nervous system running along entire body. Move via cilia and have protonephridia for filtration. Connective tissue called parenchyma. Reproduction usually hermaphroditic.
Platyhelminthes may secrete solid mucus pellets called ______
Rhabdites
How does the prevalence of sexual vs asexual reproduction influence effectiveness of parasitic infection?
Some organisms can reproduce asexually in their host and can build up to lethal levels through that
Briefly describe the structure of Trematodes
Very closely related to freeliving species. Most are hermaphroditic though some have separate sexes. Gut is highly diverticulated into many branches. Have a muscular pharynx and oral sucker. Many also have a ventral sucker (aka Acetabulum)
Briefly describe the female reproductive system in Trematodes
A single ovary where gametes are produced. Can be round or highly lobulated. This leads to an oviduct, then a union of the vitelline ducts (where yolk cells come from). This leads on to a tube lined with “gland cells”, and then the uterus. This is where the egg starts to maturate. The female gonopore is the exit point to the external environment
The fact that Trematode yolks come from Vitelline ducts means they are a _____ group
Ectolecithal
Briefly describe the male reproductive system in Trematodes
Consists of testis leading to vas efferens. Where many vas efferens meet it is called the vas deferens. At the end is the ejaculatory duct and finally the gonopore. The gonopore has an intromittent “cirrus” that can be retracted
Fasciola hepatica is otherwise known as _____, and it is the basis on which we study trematodes
the Giant liver fluke
The vitellaria of trematodes are divided into many subdivisions called _____
Follicles
Most flukes are ______ tissue parasites
Solid-tissue
Some flukes transfer through 3-4 different hosts in their lifetime. Briefly describe this
Usually start in a mollusc, moving from one kind to another, one or more other invertebrates (arthropods typically), and then 1 or 2 vertebrate hosts (usually fish)
Opisthorchis sinensis is otherwise known as ______
Chinese liver fluke
The gut of O. sinensis is diverticulated into ______ structures called _____
2, caecae
Vitellaria in trematodes are sometimes _____ distributed, meaning they are in the center of the body
Equatorially
The eggs of all flukes must stay in a _____ environment
moist
The first stage of a fluke is called a ______. Describe its appearance
Miracidium.
Has a ganglion, highly organized structures. Has a ciliated outer layer (usually a pair of cilia on each cell). Have “germline” cells, which will eventually become gonads.
Can swim around in the water.
How does the miracidium larva escape from a fluke egg?
Operculum of the egg pops open and and miracidium swims out
In aquatic situations, fluke miracidium larvae seek out their host. How do they do so and what happens after?
Look at skin biochemistry (usually of a snail), and dig inside of the skin. After this, the miracidium undergoes metamorphosis into a Sporocyst.
Name and describe the second stage in fluke development
Sporocyst - Loses cilia and absorbs nutrients directly from host (no gut). Start to divide asexually (within itself - more like internal budding). Adult-like characterists develop after a few generations
Name and describe the third stage (juvenile) in fluke development
Redia - develops after 2-3 cycles of sporocyst asexual production. Has a gut, protonephridia, proper sex tissues. Can form more Redia within itself (asexual reproduction). After a while the next juvenile (Cercaria) develops).
Name and describe the fourth stage (second juvenile) in fluke development
Cercariae. Usually have a tail and exit the host (usually a mollusc) by leaving the skin and search for the next host (usually aquatic), typically develop into a metacercarium before infection host
What do Cercariae stage juvenile flukes do when they enter a host?
Usually drop their tail and encyst in muscle. This causes the “metacercarium” to develop