Guide Notes

What
Roundworms belong to the Phylum Nematoda. A Roundworms
body form is slender, unsegmented and tapered at both ends. They are
widely distributed, living in soil, animals and both freshwater and
marine environment. There are two groups of roundworms, the freeliving and the parasitic. Most roundworms are free-living but many are
parasitic.
Roundworms have a body cavity between endoderm and
mesoderm tissues, which is called a pseudocoelom. Also, they have a
digestive tract with two-openings a mouth and an anus.
Many free-living roundworms are carnivores that use grasping
mouthparts and spines to catch and eat other small animals. Some
soil-dwelling and aquatic forms eat algae, fungi, bacteria or pieces of
decaying organic matter.
Roundworms are not always a problem. Some are beneficial to us
like the free-living roundworms because they feed on pests that could
damage crops. They are also beneficial because they kill deer ticks,
which cause Lyme disease. Also, they are the key to a healthy soil
because they provide nutrients and break down organic material.
However, there are also roundworms that can cause human
diseases. Parasitic roundworms cause a great deal of pain and
suffering in human. The following are examples of parasitic worms:
Ascaris (intestinal roundworm) found in humans and
are present mostly in unsanitary areas without plumbing
Hookworm found in warm regions and burrows through
skin they come in contact with. Their hook shaped anterior
ends allow them to latch onto the intestinal wall of their
hosts and feed on blood.
Trichinella is passed to humans through poorly cooked
pork.

Guide Notes

Elephantiasis is a human disease caused by filarial worms.

It
is
characterized by gross swelling and malformations due to
blockage of lymph vessels by the parasite. A mosquito is a
secondary host.