PHYLUM

PLATYHELMINTHES
PHYLUM PLATYHELMINTHES
• Helminthology - Study of worms causing parasitic
infestation.

• Dorsoventrally flattened body, so called flatworms

• These are mostly endoparasites found in animals

including human beings and few are free living like
Planaria
PHYLUM PLATYHELMINTHES
• Triploblastic animals
• Acoelomate animals , in between various organs a solid,
loose mesodermal tissue called Mesenchyma or
Parenchyma is present.
Digestive tract
(from endoderm)

Body covering
(from ectoderm)
Tissue filled region
(from mesoderm)
PHYLUM PLATYHELMINTHES
➢ Bilaterally symmetrical
animals

➢ Organ level of organisation.

➢ Locomotory organs are absent in these animals but

adhesive organs like suckers ,hooks etc are present in
parasitic forms.
Hooks

Suckers
PHYLUM PLATYHELMINTHES
• Epidermis is sometimes ciliated.

• On the wall of parasitic animals a thick cuticle is present

called as tegument . Thick cuticle tegument protects the
parasite from the digestive enzymes of the host. It is
secreted by epidermis.

• Muscles in the body wall are mesodermal.

Below the epidermis, longitudinal, circular and oblique
muscles are present.
PHYLUM PLATYHELMINTHES
• Digestive tract is incomplete (without anus) or completely
absent (Tapeworm) . Food is either ingested by mouth or
some of them absorb nutrients from the host directly
through their body surface (Tapeworm).

Mouth
Branched gastrovascular cavity
PHYLUM PLATYHELMINTHES
• Skeletal , respiratory and circulatory systems are absent.

• Respire through body surface . Anaerobic respiration is

found in internal parasites like Taenia.
PHYLUM PLATYHELMINTHES
• Specialised cells called flame cells helps in
osmoregulation and excretion.

Waste
material Water
Salt

Water+Salt

Excretory canal
PHYLUM PLATYHELMINTHES

Nervous system is ladder like , consist of a NERVE RING and

LONGITUDINAL NERVE CORDS.
PHYLUM PLATYHELMINTHES
REPRODUCTION

• Sexes are not separate (bisexual / hermaphrodite

/ monoecious ) (except Schistosoma).
• Reproductive system is complex and well developed.
Ovary

Testis

Mature
Proglottid
PHYLUM PLATYHELMINTHES
• Fertilisation is internal, self or cross .

• Development is through many larval stages.

Example:

Planaria

• Planaria possess high regeneration capacity.

• Found in fresh water, nocturnal, cannibalic, slow creeping, omnivorous.
• Pharynx can be everted.
 Classification of Platyheminthes
Characterstic Turbillaria Trematoda Cestoda

1.Common name Eddy worm Fluke Tape-worm

2.Habit/Habitat -Fresh/Marine -Endoparasite - Endoparasite

water
-Free
living/ectoparasite
3.Example :Plannaria/Dugesia :Fasciola-Sheep :Taenia solium-
:Microstomum- liver fluke Pork tapeworm
enemy of hydra :Schistosoma-Blood :Taenia saginata-
:Icthyophaga- fluke Beef tapeworm
parasite on fishes :Paragonimus-Lung :Echinoccoccus-Dog
PHYLUM PLATYHELMINTHES
Fasciola hepatica (Liver fluke)
• Primary host - Sheep & Goat (Endoparasite of bile duct)
• Secondary host - Garden snail (Planorbis, Lymnea)

Larva of Fasciola
Miracidium enters
into
Sporocyst snail

Redia

It causes Liver-rot or Cercaria

enters
Cirrhosis disease in sheep into
Metacercaria
sheep
Fasciola life cycle
Fasciola life cycle
 PHYLUM PLATYHELMINTHES
Schistosoma (Blood fluke)

Larva of Schistosoma

Enters snail Miracidium • Primary host - Man

• Secondary host - Garden snail
Sporocyst • It causes intestinal disorder -
Schistosomiasis or Bilharzia disease.
• Found in veins of human bladder
Cercaria and intestine. Unisexual , Large
male carries female in a groove
Enters human gynaecophoric canal on ventral
side.
• It shows sexual dimorphism.
PHYLUM PLATYHELMINTHES
Taenia solium (Pork tapeworm)
In humans it causes the disease Taeniasis and Cysticercosis

Body
Head or Neck Long
Scolex strobila

With For forming

hooks new Approx. 850
and proglottides proglottides
suckers present
• It is human gut parasite, infection due to eating uncooked
pork.
• Hermaphrodite, Self fertilization.
PHYLUM PLATYHELMINTHES

Larva of Taenia
Onchosphere Infective stage for secondary host(pig)
Hexacanth
Bladderworm
Cysticercus Infective stage for primary host(humans )
Life cycle of Taenia solium
Life cycle of Taenia solium