The majority of members of the phylum Platyhelminthes (the flatworms—a phylum that includes the notorious tapeworms and flukes) are parasitic; planarians
Which flatworms are parasitic and which flatworms are free-living?
Some species are microscopic, while others may be as long as 164 feet. All get their names from their characteristically flat bodies. The three main types of flatworms are free-living, flukes and tapeworms . Both flukes and tapeworms are parasitic, relying on other host animals for survival.
Is roundworms and flatworms are non parasitic?
Flatworms are free-living heterotrophs or parasites . Roundworms are invertebrates in Phylum Nematoda. ... They are free-living heterotrophs or parasites.
Which class of flatworms is not parasitic?
Turbellaria . Turbellaria are free-living flatworms. This means that they are able to find and digest their own food, and they do not depend on a host organism.
What are 2 parasitic flatworms?
While there are several parasitic flatworms, tapeworms and flukes are the two most commonly studied types. These flatworms are capable of causing diseases in different host organisms, such as fish, dogs, domesticated animals, and humans.
Are flatworms poisonous?
Not only are they an invasive species that can cause real environmental damage, but they also are known to carry a parasite called rat lungworm that can cause a form of meningitis in humans. Besides that, this flatworm produces toxic secretions that may trigger an allergic reaction in some people.
Do flatworms have a stomach?
Flatworms have no body cavity other than the gut (and the smallest free-living forms may even lack that!) and lack an anus; the same pharyngeal opening both takes in food and expels waste.
Do parasitic flatworms have a tough covering?
Endoparasites have a thick protective covering of cells called a that prevents them from being digested by their host. Other flukes are ectoparasites, or parasites that live on the outside of their hosts.
What do roundworms have that flatworms do not?
Roundworms are more cylindrical in shape and tapered to a fine point at one end. Similarly, roundworms have a rigid outer covering called a cuticle that they shed repeatedly throughout their lives and as they grow. Flatworms do not have this; their bodies, instead, are covered with cilia, hairlike growths .
Can flatworms live in humans?
There are a variety of parasitic worms that can take up residence in humans . Among them are flatworms, thorny-headed worms, and roundworms. The risk of parasitic infection is higher in rural or developing regions. The risk is great in places where food and drinking water may be contaminated and sanitation is poor.
Is a flatworm a parasite?
Flatworm, also called platyhelminth, any of the phylum Platyhelminthes, a group of soft-bodied, usually much flattened invertebrates. A number of flatworm species are free-living, but about 80 percent of all flatworms are parasitic —i.e., living on or in another organism and securing nourishment from it.
Are flatworms asexual?
Flatworms are hermaphroditic (having both male and female sex organs) and they typically reproduce both sexually and asexually . The majority of sexual reproduction is through cross-fertilization (where both individuals fertilize each other).
Are examples of parasitic flatworms?
The parasitic flatworms include flukes (classes Monogenea and Trematoda) and tapeworms (class Cestoda) . There are more than 4,000 species of Monogenea, 9,000 of Trematoda and 5,000 of Cestoda.
What diseases are caused by flatworms?
Paragonimiasis is caused by infection with a flatworm. That’s a parasitic worm also called a fluke or lung fluke because it commonly infects the lungs. Usually, infection comes after eating undercooked crab or crayfish that carry immature flukes.
How do you know if you have flatworms?
If you have tapeworms, you may not have any symptoms. You may also notice symptoms such as: nausea or diarrhea , abdominal pain, hunger or loss of appetite, fatigue and weakness, weight loss, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and tapeworm segments visible in your bowel movements.
Which of the following flatworms is most likely a parasite?
The correct answer to this question is C) Flukes and tapeworms .
