Title: The Worms

Introduction (H1)
Usually worms have no body appendages. They are bilaterally symmetrical and are found in variety of environments such as marine water, freshwater or lands. Some of them are parasitic in nature. Worms are generally classified into three types mainly; flatworms (ribbon like in structure), roundworms (round in structure with a body cavity) and segmented worms (segmented body and a body cavity).

Flatworms (H2)
Flatworms belong to the phylum Platyhelminthes and are named so because they have flat body structure. They are bilaterally symmetrical. Some of them are free living organisms and some of them are parasitic in nature. Free living flatworms feed in small organisms and dead and decaying matter whereas parasitic worms obtain their nutrition from the host body in which they live. Parasitic Flatworms such as tapeworms have hook like structures on their heads to attach themselves to the walls of the intestine of the host. They do not have true body cavity. They have an incomplete digestive system with only one opening. They have gastrovascualar cavities for digestion and distribute digested food. True respiratory system is absent. Gas exchange takes place from the body surfaces. Circulatory system lacks blood vessels. Nervous system is distinct with nerve cells and sensory organs such as eyespots.
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Roundworms (H3)
Roundworms come under the phylum Nematoda which includes non segmented worms. They have around body structure and a body cavity with internal organs in it. They have a complete digestive tract starting from mouth to anus including a gut. They have a simple nervous system consisting of sensory nerves and a primitive brain. The sensory nerves are connected with ventral and dorsal nerve chords. They can be free living as well as parasitic. Parasitic worms cause serious diseases in animals and humans. Example- The disease Elephantiasis in which the limbs swell extremely because of blockage of vessels by the roundworms.

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Segmented Worms (H4)

Segmented worms come under the phylum Annelida that includes earthworms, marine worms, leeches etc. They have a segmented body structure. They have a body cavity filled with fluid. The body cavity has a supportive structure called as hydroskeleton that helps in muscle contraction. They have complete digestive tract starting from mouth to anus including esophagus and gut. The circulatory system has paired hearts and blood vessels. They have a simple nervous system that consists of brain and a ventral nerve cord.

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Connect with online tutor to learn more details about the general features of Worms. e Tutors are ready to help you to learn the Classification of Worms in a simplest way. Keywords Flatworms, Roundworms, Segmented Worms, Decaying matter, Parasitic, Body Cavity, Bilaterally Symmetrical, Gastrovascular cavity, Cloaca, Anus, Gut, Elephantiasis, Hydroskeleton, Nerve chord, Biology Help, Biology Tutoring, Biology Articles. Reference Links http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nematode http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatworm http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ab96Fdt5Gs&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5NMpG41Y7M&feature=related

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