QUESTION: Which one of the following is not a Platyhelminthes?
A Tapeworm
B Liver fluke
C Planaria
D Hookworm
ANSWER: Hookworm
Phylum Platyhelminthes | |||
Characteristics | Examples | Class | Larva names |
· Members of phylum Platyhelminthes are known as Flatworms. Platy means flat, and “helminth” refers to worm. Their name reflects their flat, ribbon-like body shape · Members of the phylum Platyhelminthes exhibit bilateral symmetry, meaning their bodies can be divided into two identical halves along a central axis. · Platyhelminthes have three germ layers (ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm) during their embryonic development, which gives rise to different tissue types in their body. · These organisms lack a true body cavity (coelom), and their tissues are directly in contact with each other. · Platyhelminthes have incomplete digestive system. They have a single opening that serves as both their mouth and anus. Thus food enters and waste exits through the same opening. · Protonephridia are excretory structures used for osmoregulation and waste elimination. They help to maintain the balance of water and solutes in the body. · Platyhelminthes do not have dedicated circulatory or respiratory systems for the transport of gases or nutrients throughout their bodies. Gas exchange occurs across body surfaces. · Nerve ladder arrangement with ganglia (nerve cell clusters) and longitudinal nerves. · Asexual (e.g., fission, regeneration) and sexual reproduction (hermaphroditic or cross-fertilization). · They exhibit muscular body movement. Some flatworms use cilia for locomotion. · They are found in aquatic environments such as freshwater and marine and terrestrial habitats. · Many species are parasitic in nature, adapting to life within other organisms.
| Planarians Tapeworms Flukes | Turbellaria
| Ciliated Larvae |
Cestoda | Oncosphere | ||
Trematoda
| Miracidium | ||
Trematoda | Redia | ||
Trematoda | Cercaria | ||
Trematoda | Metacercaria | ||
Turbellaria | Muller’s Larva | ||
Monogenea | Furcocercous | ||
Monogenea | Oncomiracidium | ||