Diversity of Life – Animals

PLATYHELMINTHES
(flatworms, tapeworms)
A Phylogeny of the Animal Phyla

No true tissues
Porifera
radial symmetry
Cnidaria
diploblastic

Ctenophora
Acoelomates
Platyhelminthes
Pseudocoelomates
Rotifera
Nematoda
Nemertea
Protostomes
Mollusca
true tissues

Annellida
Arthropoda
Bilateral symmetry

triploblastic
Bryozoa
Lophophorate
phyla

Body
cavity

Phoronida
Coelomates

Brachiopoda
Echinodermata
Deuterostomes
Chordata
Platyhelminthes - flatworms
•  Description
Animals that are
• triploblastic
• no body cavity(aceolomate)
• central nervous system
• bilateral symmetry
Platyhelminthes - flatworms

Free living flatworms Tapeworms

Flukes
Tissue Layers

There can be two or three

Ectoderm

Mesoderm
Endoderm

Diploblastic Triploblastic
Body Cavities

3. Body Cavities - There are three different kinds

Coelomate - the coelom is lined on both

sides with mesoderm

Pseudocoelomate - the coelom

(= pseudocoelom) is lined on
one side with mesoderm

Acoelomate - there is no body cavity

between the digestive tract and body wall
Platyhelminthes - flatworms

Basic Structure - body plan

Acoelomate!!

mesoderm endoderm ectoderm

Platyhelminthes - flatworms
Basic Structure - a few improvements

Excretion
Platyhelminthes - flatworms
Basic Structure - a few improvements

Digestion

-digestion begins in the pharynx and nutrients are absorbed in the

gastrovascular cavity
Platyhelminthes - flatworms
Basic Structure - a few improvements

Nervous system

Eyespots
 Platyhelminthes - flatworms
Basic Structure - a few improvements

Nervous system

Cephalization
Platyhelminthes - Classification

1.  Turbellaria - free living flatworms

-mostly marine, predators and scavengers
Platyhelminthes - Classification

2. Trematoda - flukes - vertebrate parasites

 Platyhelminthes - Classification
2. Trematoda - flukes
Platyhelminthes - Classification

3. Cestoda (= Cestoidea) - tapeworms - vertebrate parasites

Platyhelminthes - Classification

3. Cestoda (= Cestoidea) - tapeworms - vertebrate parasites

Sucker discs

Hooks- for attachment

to host’s intestine

Scolex
Platyhelminthes - Classification

3. Cestoda (= Cestoidea) - tapeworms - vertebrate parasites

proglottid
 Platyhelminthes - Classification
3. Cestoda - tapeworms- Beef tapeworm- Life cycle

Mature adult
in human intestine

Larvae release
in sewage

Juveniles
encyst in
cow muscle
Platyhelminthes - Classification
3. Cestoidea - tapeworms- Beef tapeworm- Life cycle
 Platyhelminthes - Classification
3. Cestoda - tapeworms- Beef tapeworm- Life cycle

Mature adult
in human intestine

Larvae release
in sewage

Juveniles
encyst in
cow muscle
 Symmetry Body Skeletal Digestive Excretory Nervous Reproductive
Cavity
Porifera None None Spicules in Phagocytosis Amoebocytes None Hermaphrodites
mesohyl Asexual

Cnidaria Radial None None – Nutritive Non e Nerve net Specialized zooids or
stiffened muscle cells asexual
mesoglea
Platyhelminthes Bilateral None None Incomplete Flame cells Cephalized Hermaophrodite
(acoelo- CNS Asexual
mate)