Activity 5.2.

Laboratory Exercise
on Platyhelminths
Instruction:

Label the structures (in bold red letters) in

the specified slides as they are being
described. Try not to look at the available
resources so you may learn how to identify
structures with their description. Follow the
provided numbering as you proceed. The
entire exercise is equivalent to 40 pts.
Class Turbellaria
Order Tricladida
Dugesia sp. whole mount (slide 1)

•The head is definitely recognizable, protruding laterally into ear-like

lobes called the auricles (1). The two pigmented areas in the medial
side are called eyespots (2). These are associated with
photoreceptors. The clear elongated area at the middle is the
pharyngeal chamber (3) containing the pharynx (4). A stained
mounted specimen would show the pharynx clearly with the mouth (5)
at its free posterior end and leading into the intestine with 3 main
branches (6) and numerous side branches (7) thus the name
“tricladida”.
 Slide 1
eyespots (2)

auricles
(1)

pharyngeal chamber (3)

pharynx (4)

mouth (5)

main branches
(6)

side branches (7)

 Cross section of Planaria (slide 2)
• In cross section: the outer body covering consists mainly of ciliated
epidermal cells (8). These cells contain rod-shaped rhabdites, which on
liberation from the body and on contact with water, swell and stick together
forming a layer of sticky substance around the animal. Among the cells
forming the integument, glandular and sensory cells are to be found in
certain regions of the body. A basal membrane divides the layer of
ectodermal cells from the underlying muscle layers. A layer of circular
muscles (9) is followed by a longitudinal muscle layer (10). In addition,
there is a layer of diagonal muscles consisting of 2 sets of fibers running at
right angles to each other and lying on the same plane. The longitudinal
muscles are most strongly developed on the ventral side. The parenchyma
(11) consists mainly of connective tissue cells, some of which are capable of
developing into almost any kind of specialized cell, thus playing an
important role in regenerating lost or damaged parts of the body. In the
middle section of the Dugesia, the pharyngeal chamber (12) can be seen
as the central cavity surrounded by a thick epithelium. Lateral to it are the
branches of the gut (13).
 Slide 2

branches of the gut (13)

circular
muscles (9)

longitudinal muscle
layer (10)
ciliated epidermal
cells (8)

yngeal chamber (12)

parenchyma
(11)
Class Trematoda
Subclass Digenea
Opistorchis (Clonorchis) sinensis – wm (slide
3)

Commonly called Chinese liver fluke. It is a parasite

of humans, cats, dogs, and other mammals in
China, Korea, Japan, and other Asiatic countries.
The leaf-like fluke has its anterior end narrower than
its posterior end but not produced into a cone.
• The mouth (14) is at the anterior end surrounded by the oral sucker (15)
The acetabulum (16) is at the midventral line about a 5th of the length of
the body from the anterior end. It is used for clinging to the wall of a biliary
passage. The mouth leads to a muscular pharynx (17), then to the short
esophagus (18). The intestine (19) consists of two unbranched tubes
running closely along the border of the body and ending blindly near the
posterior end. The faintly seen tube just lateral to each intestinal branch is
the excretory duct (20) that ends blindly in front; posteriorly it swerves
medially and joins its pair from the other side to form the excretory pore
(21) at the hind end.
• The reproductive system consists of the prominent organs at the middle.
Most digeneans are hermaphroditic and normally cross-fertilize (copulation).
The two testes (22) are the branched organs in tandem situated at the
posterior half. The deferent duct coming from each testis is a fine tube
going anteriorly. Right in front of the testes is the single, irregularly shaped
ovary (23) and the oval seminal receptacle (24). The faintly colored organ
around the anterior portions of the ovary is the Mehli’s gland (25), which
secretes the shell around the fertilized eggs. The uterus (26) is the very
coiled tube, full of eggs, zigzagging forward and ending in the genital pore
just in front of the acetabulum. At about the same level, 2 deferent ducts
unite to form the enlarged seminal vesicle (27), which opens into the
genital pore. The yellowish brown clusters at the sides are the vitelline
glands (28) secreting yolk. The duct leading inward on each side from
these glands is the vitelline duct.
 Slide 3

enlarged testes
seminal vesicle ovary Mehli’s (22)
oral intestine (27) (23) gland (25)
sucker (19)
(15)

mouth
acetabulum uterus
(14) Excretory
muscular (16) (26)
pharynx (17) seminal duct (20)
excretory
esophagus vitelline receptacle
pore (21)
(18) glands (24)
(28)

Sripa, B. et al. (2007). Liver Fluke Induces Cholangiocarcinoma". PLoS

Medicine 4(7): e201. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0040201. Cropped from the figure 2.,
CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10718921
Class Trematoda
Subclass Digenea
Schistosoma japonicum

• A blood fluke infecting man in certain

areas of the Philippines, particularly in the
provinces of Leyte and Cagayan. They
are slender elongated worms with two
suckers: oral and ventral. The sexes are
separate.
 S. japonicum- male wm (slide 4)

• The male has a cylindrical appearance but is

usually flat, with the sides of the body posterior
to the ventral sucker (29) rolled ventrally to
form a groove called gonoporic or
gynecophoric canal (30). Oftentimes the very
slender female is lodged in this canal, held in
place by the flaps forming the groove. Below the
ventral sucker is a distinct conglomerate of
darkly stained cells called testes (31).
 Slide 4

ventral sucker
(29)

testes (31)

gonoporic or
gynecophoric canal
(30)

Male anterior part

 S. japonicum- female wm (slide 5)

• The female is longer and more slender than the

male. Starting from the anterior or oral sucker to
the ventral sucker, you can find an oval shaped
ovary (32), followed by the vitellaria or yolk
glands (33) for the production of yolk-filled cells
called vitellocytes. The ripe eggs (34) are
eventually stored in another female accessory
reproductive organ, the uterus (35).
Slide 5

ripe eggs (34)

uterus (35)
ovary (32)

vitellaria or yolk
glands (33)
 • Identify the different stages in the life cycle of S.
japonicum.

36. Egg 37. Miracidium 38. Cercaria

Class Cestoda
Subclass Eucestoda
tapeworms
Taenia solium – pork tapeworm
Instruction:

Since the description and the picture are contained

in a single slide, you may label the structure with
corresponding numbers only to save in space.
 Taenia solium scolex
• The rostellum (39) is a
projecting piece at the apex rostellum
of a scolex armed with 22-32 (39)

hooks arranged in 2 rows,

long ones alternating with
the short ones. There are 4
rounded or oval suckers or
acetabula (40) but without
hooks (unarmed). Proximal
to the scolex is the neck
region (41) which contain
the germinative cells for
strobilation.
acetabula
(40)

neck region
(41)
 T. solium mature segments
A mature proglottid contains well- vas deferens (43)
developed gonads of both sexes. The
genital pore (42) is located on one side uterus
with 2 tubes leading inward from it. The (50)

anterior convoluted tube is the vas

deferens (43) leading into several cirrus
scattered rounded masses, the testes (45)
(44). Also connected with the vas
deferens is the cirrus (45), an everscible ovaries
copulatory structure. It lies within a (47)

muscular sac at the genital pore. The

posterior tube is the vagina (46). The 2
testes
prominent masses with fringed borders are (44)
the ovaries (47). The vagina runs in the
area between the ovaries where the
Mehli’s gland (48) is located. Below this vitelline
(49)
gland
vagina (46)
area is the elongate vitelline gland (49)
set crosswise. The uterus (50) is the
simple tube issuing forward from the genital
pore (42)
region of the Mehli’s gland. Mehli’s
gland (48)
 T. solium gravid segment
• As the proglottid ripens,
the uterus (51)
becomes progressively
distended. The two
uterus
vertical tubes at the (51)

sides of the proglottids

are the
protonephridial/excret
ory ducts (52). The
fully ripe uterus usurps protonephridial/excretory
the whole segment, ducts (52).

most of the other

reproductive structures Image from: http://www.med-chem.com/para-site
degenerate . url=org/taensoli
 Fill-in the stages in the life cycle of T. solium.
53.
Each egg contains a six-hooked larva
called Oncosphere or Hexacanth(53).
The larva of T. solium is called
Cysticercus(54), while that of T.
saginata is Cysticerci (55).

Pork containing these larvae is called

measly pork. 54.
 Dipylidium caninum scolex
• Rostellum (56) is
present. It is retractile
Rostellum (56)

rostellar sac
into a rostellar sac (57)

(57) and is provided

with 1-8 rows of rose-
thorn hooks.
Acetabula (58) are
also present. Acetabula
(58)
 Dipylidium caninum mature segment
Known as the dog tapeworm,
does not grow as big as Taenia.
Note the double sets of
reproductive organs including the
genital pores (59), cirrus (60), vagina
(61)
and vagina (61), one for each cirrus (60)

side of the proglottid. The

ovaries (62) are separate, each
leading to vitellaria (63).
genital
pores
(59)

vitellaria
ovaries (63)
(62)

Image from
https://www.cdc.gov/dpdx/images/dipylidium/Dcaninum
_proglottid4.jpg
Dipylidium caninum gravid segment (A) and
egg capsule/cluster (B)
The ripe proglottid shows A
the fertilized eggs (64) in
rounded pockets of the uterus (65)
uterus (65) instead of the
branching arrangement in
Taenia. Ripe proglottids are
of the shape and size of the
elongated pumpkin seeds
and squirm actively in fresh
feces. fertilized
eggs (64) B
 Diphyllobothrium latum mature segment
cirrus sac
Mature proglottid show the scattered, (71)
brownish, vitellaria or yolk glands (66), a
distinguishing feature of
pseudophyllideans. The pink, scattered
cirrus (70)
bodies are testes (67).  The dark body is
the sac-like uterus (68) filled with egg
capsules, leading to the uterine pore (69), uterine pore
a spherical body seen above the uterus.  (69)
Above the uterine pore is the cirrus (70)
uterus
contained in the cirrus sac (71). The two (68)
ovaries (72) can be seen as pink bodies to
the left and right of the more lightly-stained
portion of the uterus. 
ovaries testes (67)
(72)
The egg capsule often displays a button on
the non-opercular end (seen to the lower
portion of the image).  The enclosed vitellaria
embryo will develop into a (fill the blank) or yolk
__procercoid__(73), a ciliated, free- glands
(66)
swimming larva which must be eaten be a
copepod
Hymenolepis nana and H. diminuta
How do you distinguish the scolex
of H. nana from H. diminuta?
What other features distinguish
one from the other? (3.5 pts)

Answer: You may distinguish H.

diminuta and H. nana from each
other through measuring their
size as H. diminuta is known to
have a greater length and width
when compared to H. nana. The
scolex of H. diminuta could be
described as pear shaped and
contains an unarmed rostellum in
comparison to H. nana with a
hook bearing rostellum.