Platyhelminthes &

Nemathelminthes
Anup Panthi
MBBS, IOM, TU
BSC Chemistry (TU)
 Platyhelminthes (Gegenbaur)
• Called as Flat worms

• Mostly parasitic but some are free living (Turbellerians)

• Symmetry: Bilaterally symmetrical and dorsoventrally flattened

• Body organization: Organ level

• Germ layer:Triploblastic

• Segmentation: Unsegmented (free living) or pseudosegmentation

or pseudometamerism (parasitic)

• Coelom: Acoelomate

• 1st organism to have: organ grade, cephalization, triploblastic and

bilateral symmetrical
• Body plan: Blind sac

• Cephalization: 1st apperance

• Digestive system: Incomplete or absent(tapeworm, food = general body surface,

extracellular)

• Respiration: Anaerobic (parasitic) other general body surface

• Excretion: Flame cells or solenocytes or protonephridia,

ammonotelic

• Circulation: Mesenchymal

Note: circulatory, respiratory and skeletal system absent

• Reproductive system:
• Well developed (parasitic adaptation),
• hermaphrodites (one or more sets of male and female
reproductive organs)
• Fertilixation: internal, cross fertilization,
• Development direct in free living and indirect (one or more
larval) in parasitic

• Nervous system
• Developed, 1st appearance of brain,
• ladder like consisting of a pair of ganglia with one to three pairs
of longitudinal nerve cords joined at intervals by transverse
commissures.
Features Turbelleria Trematoda Cestoda

Common name eddy worm Flukes Tapeworms

Classification
Epidermis/Cuticle
ciliated and synctial no
cuticle,
cilia and epidermis absent cilia and epidermis absent,
cuticle present

Free living/ Parasitic free living(no hooks and ecto and endoparasite(sucker Parasitic
• 3 classes onsucker)
the basis of mode of life but
present andhooks
digestive
absent) system

Digestive system present without anus, incomplete without anus Absent

Body body unsegmented leaf body unsegmented leaf like Segmented (hooks and
like sucker present)

Development development is direct, direct in ectoparasite and indirect in indirect

no larval stage endoparasite (MiSReCeMe) (oncosphere,hexacanth and
cysticercus)

Example Dugesia(Planaria), Fasciola hepatica (Sheep liverfluke), Taenia solium (pork

Bipalium, Convulata Bilharzia/Schistosoma (Blood fluke) tapeworm)
Paragonimus (Lung fluke), Taenia saginata (beef
tapeworm)
 Fasciola hepatica (sheep liver fluke)

• Digenetic, endoparasite
• Primary host: Sheep &
also other vertebrates such as goat, horse,
• Secondary host:snails like Limnea.
• Causes Fascioliasis, disease damaging liver tissue
and bile ducts (liver rot)
• Larval stage completes in five stages.

MiracidiumSporocystRediaCercariaMetacercaria [@MiS ReCeMe]

• The infective stage to primary host is Metacercaria

• The infective to the secondary host Miracidium

• Fasciola is a hermaphrodite (2 testes and 1 ovary), protandrous. Cross fertilization is the rule.
• Laurer’s canal acts as vagina and Cirrus acts as penis.

• Fasciola exhibits both alternation of generation and alternation of host.

 Schistosoma (Blood/Lymphatic fluke of man)

• S. haematobium causes: Schistosomiasis, kidney damage

• Schistosoma is dioecious
• Male is smaller and female is longer and slender.
• Female is lodged in gynecophoric canal of male.
• Blood fluke is digenetic:
• Primary host- man
• secondary host-Balinus and other snail
• Redia and metacercaria absent
• Sometimes produces, a severe cercarial dermatitis called "Swimmer's
itch".
• Treatment: Praziquantel.
Taenia solium (Pork tapeworm/Armed tapeworm
Lives in small intestine of man, one tapeworm in one host, tape like or
ribbon like segmented body, no GI tract(parasitic adaptation), food and
respiration via general body surface (osmotrophy), covered by cuticle
Proglottid: each consider as complete individual,
detachment of gravid apolysis

Head/Scolex: 4 cup shaped sucker called acetabula, rostellum (conical

projection at top of scoles) with hooks(22-32) in two rows

Neck: unsegmented
zone of budding or growth zone or proliferation zone

Strobila: Proglottid: (900-1000),2.5-4 m, 25

detachment of gravid proglottid is called as apolysis
immature: 300, no sex organ
Mature: 450, (200 male only then 250 male and female)
Gravid: 150-350, uterus with fertilized egg
 • Digenetic

Definitive host: Man

Intermediate host: Pig

Both host are vertebrates

• Infection occurs by measly pork containing cysticercus larva.

• Life cycle
• Oncosphere---------Hexacanth----------------Cystecercus (bladder worm)
Echinococcus granulosus (Hydatid worm)

• Scales with hook & hooklets

• Short neck; 3 to 4 proglottids

• Definitive host: Canine animals (Dog, wolves, jackal)

• Intermediate host: Sheep, cattle, man

1. ……… is excretory organs of Platyhelminthes. [2021]

a.Nephridia b. Kidney
c. Flame cells d. Coxal gland

2. Incomplete digestive system is present in: [2021]

a.Whip worm b. Tapeworm

c.Hookworm d. Ascaris
3. Alternate host of Fasciola hepatica is: [2022]
a.Sheep b. Goat
c. Snail d. Human
4. Intestinal tapeworm obtain their nutrition by: [IOM]
a.Scrapping food particles from intestine of host with hooks
b.Ingesting food particles through suckers
c.Absorbing liquid food from general body surface
d.Preparing their own food
1. The intermediate host of liver fluke is: IOM]
a.Man b. Sheep
c.Dog d. Snail
2. Flattened leaf like body belongs to: [IOM]
a.Cestoda b. Nematoda
c. Trematoda d. Cephalopoda
3. Larva of tapeworm in pork meat is: [IOM]
a.Rhabditiform b. Cercaria
c.Metacercaria d. Cysticercus
4. Flame cells are present as excretory organs in:[IOM/BP]
a.Annelida b. Platyhelminthes
c.Porifera d. Mammals
5. Body segments of Taenia solium is: [IOM]
a.Proglottids b. Scolex
c.Rostellum d.Acetabulum
6. Tapeworm using pig as intermediate host is: [IOM]
a.Taenia solium b. Taenia saginata
c.Fasciola hepatica d. Taenia bufo
 Aschelminthes/Nemathelmenthes

• Body: cylindrical, elongated, unsegmented;

• bilaterally symmetrical
• Habit and Habitat: Mostly parasitic (cuticularized) and
• Some are free living. May be aquatic or terrestrial

• Body organization: Organ system

• Germ layer: Triploblastic

• Segmentation: Unsegmented, cuticularized

• Coelom: Pseudocoelomates: a cavity formed due to fusion of large pseudocoelomocytes; not from
mesoderm; but from blastocoel
• External features:
• Body is covered by a thick cuticle made up of scleroprotein,
• Epidermis is syncytial (i.e. cells have no definite boundaries
and the nuclei alone indicates its cellular origin).
• Beneath epidermis is longitudinal muscle cells arranged in
four blocks or bands. Cilia is absent.

• Digestive System:
• complete, suctorial pharynx and glands, terminal mouth with
lips, holozoic nutrition

• Respiratory and circulatory system:

• Absent, pseudo coelomic fluid help and it is called
hydroskeleton
• Excretory system:
• one or two protonephridia
• H shaped
• Renette cells

• Sense organs:
i.Amphids: olfactory, sensory and chemoreceptors located at mouth.
Amphids are olfactoreceptors of Ascaris

ii.Phasmids: Chemoreceptors located in the tail region

• Reproductive system
These are unisexual or dioecious with sexual dimorphism ,
1st unisexual phylum, male smaller than female,
internal fertilization,
indirect development
 Nematoda
• On the basis of sense organ
Features Aphasmida Phasmids
Phasmids (anus) Absent present along with amphids
Excretory system Absent or rudimentary present with renette cells

Free living/Parasite Usually Free living, Usually parasitic

Examples Trichuris (Whip worm), Ascaris lumbricoides (Round worm)
Trichenella (thread Enterobius vermicularis (=Oxyuris) (Pinworm or seat-worms)
worms), Rhabditis,
Dracunculus medinensis (Guinea worm)
Desmoscolex
Wuchereria bancrofti (Filaria worm)
Ancylostoma duodenale (Old World Hookworm)
Necator americana (New World Hookworm)
Loa loa (Eye worm)
Ascaris lumbricoides (Round Worm)

• Disease: Ascariasis,
Jejunum, common in children, endoparasite

• Location:Jejunum

• Symptoms: Abdominal discomfort,

• Vomiting, fever, Loeffler’s pneumonia

• Due to cuticle it is resistant to digestive enzymes.

Male Ascaris Female Ascaris
i. Smaller; 15–30 cm, : i. Longer; 20–40
ii.Tail is curved cii. Tail is straight
iii. A pair of penial setae iii. No penial setae.
arising from curved
cloaca.
• Lifecycle: Monogenitic, single host

• Infective stage :2nd stage Rhabditiform larva

• Infection via Faeco-oral route

• Moulting: four
• 1st molting in soil
• 2nd & 3rd molting in lungs
• 4th molting in intestine
• Treatment: MAP

• Migration: 3 weeks or 20 dyas

• Soil----Intestine----liver-----lungs
• Lungs----trachea-----oesophagus------stomach-------intestine
• Aberrant migration
 Hook worm

• Sanguivorous: Blood feeder (Iron deficiency anemia)

• Disease: Ancyclostomiasis

• Infective stage: Filiariform larva (3rd stage)

• Infection via penetration of skin
• Route of Migration:
• Skin  Epidermis  Dermis  Inferior Vena cava  Heart  Lungs
 Alimentary canal
Wuchereria bancrofti (Bancroft's worm/ Filarial worm)

• Found in: Lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes

• Infective stage: 3rd stage microfilaria

• Diseases: Filariasis, elephantiasis

• Life cycle: Digenetic

• Primary host: Man
• Secondary host: Culex mosquito

Female - ovoviviparous
Loa Loa (Eye worm)

•It causes conjunctivitis.

•It is filarial roundworm of central and western
Africa causing Loiasis or Fugitive or Calabar
swellings.
•Vector is mango fly (softly softly fly) as well as
intermediate host.
 Dracunculus medinensis (Guinea worm)

• It is also called fiery serpent or Medina worm.

• Largest nematode parasite in human
• The adult worm inhabits the sub-cutaneous tissue.
• Digenetic, intermediate host is Cyclops or water fleas.
• Transmission through contaminated water
• Drug: Metronidazole
Enterobius Vermicularis (Pin worm/Seat Worm)

• Endoparasite of large intestine

• Infection via food and water

• Diaseases:

• Itching and irritation of anal, vaginal and perianal area

• Infective stage: 2nd stage embryonated egg

Trichuris (Whip worm)

• Inhabits large intestine

• Sanguivorus

• Infective stage : 2nd stage embryonated egg

• Trichuriasis
1. Wandering journey of ascaris takes[IOM]
a.10 days b. 12 days
c.14 days d. 20 days
2. Filaria is [IOM]
a.Protozoa b. Virus
c.Helminth d.Bacteria
3. Amphids and phasmids are found in [IOM]
a.Platyhelminthes b. Annelida
c.Nematodes d. Cockroach
4. Which one of the following is true for Ascaris? [IOM]
a.Outside  intestine  liver  lungs  trachea  Esophagus  intestine
b.Outside  stomach  heart  lungs  trachea  intestine
c.Outside  intestine  heart  lungs  trachea  intestine
d.Outside  stomach  liver  lungs  Esophagus
5. Special modification of Ascaris to its parasitic mode of life is: [IOM]
a.Straight and uncoiled alimentary canal
b.Segmented body
c.Resistant cuticle on the body surface.
d.Cylindrical body
7. In which of the organism, pseudocoelom is found? [IOM]
a.Coelenterata b. Hydra
c.Platyhelminthes d. Nemathelminthes
8. Which of the following causes Fe deficient anaemia? [IOM]
a.Pin worm b. Roundworm
c.Hookworm d. Tapeworm
9. Amphids in ventro-lateral lips of Ascaris are: [IOM]
a.Chemoreceptor b. Gustatoreceptor
c.Olfactoreceptor d. Tactoreceptor
10.In hookworm, ingested blood is prevented from clotting by formant secreted by [IOM]
a.Esophageal gland
b.Salivary gland
c.Pharyngeal gland
d.Tonsilar gland
11.The alimentary canal of nematode has: [IOM]
a.Only mouth b. Only anus
c.Mouth and anus d. No intestine
12.Pseudocoelom is found in [IOM/KU]
a.Cnidaria b. Platyhelminthes
c.Nematoda d.Annelids