PLATYHELMINTHES

(Flatworms)
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
• Morphology
– Flattened dorso-ventral
– No segmentation, bilaterlly symetrical
– Incomplete GIT( no anus)
– Lack body cavity
– Hermaphrodite or monoecious
• EXCEPT for Schistosoma (dioecious)
 PLATYHELMINTHES: CHARACTERISTICS

• 3 dermal layers (tripoblastik)

• Flat dorsal –ventrally
• Dorsal different from ventral
• Anterior different from posterior
• Mouth and genital opening on ventral side
• Bilateral symmetry
• Considered most primitive animal
• Living surface membrane
• No body cavity except for digestive tract (acoelomate).
Space between organs filled with parenchyma cells (a kind
of connective tissue)
 PLATYHELMINTHES: Characteristics (cont.)

• Considered more advance than Cnidaria because they have

developed good nervous, muscle and reproductive systems;
• Do not have an anus; wastes remove through mouth;
• Nervous system made up of a pair of anterior ganglion and
longitudinal nerve cord and connected with a criss-cross of
nerve network;
• Simple sensory organ; eye-spot for some;
• Excretory system made up of 2 lateral canals with
branching ending in the flame cells (protonephridia).
Absent in the primitive forms.
 PLATYHELMINTHES: Characteristics (cont.)

• Respiratory, circulatory and skeletal systems absent;

• Most monoecious. ie. both male and female organs on
same animal;
• Asexual reproduction also possible - regenaration.
PHYLUM PLATYHELMINTHES – FLAT
WORMS
PLATYHELMINTHES: CLASSIFICATION

• Class Terbullaria (free-living)

• Class Monogenea
• Class Trematoda (flukes)
• Class Cestoidea (tape worm)
 Classification

Class trematoda (Flukes) Class Cestoda

– Liver flukes – Order Pseudophyllidea
• Fasciola hepatica • Diphylliobotrium
• Chlonorchis sinensis latum
– Intestinal flukes
• Fascilopsis buski – Order Cyclophyllidea
– Lung flukes • Dipyliidium caninum
• Paragonimous • Hymenolepsis nana
westermani • Taenia saginata
– Blood flukes • Taenia solium
• Schistosoma sp.
Internal sections of a Planaria
 Class Terbullaria
• Most free-living
• Found in the oceans, in fresh water, and in moist
terrestrial habitats, and a few are parasitic
• Most are carnivorous;
• Some omnivorous;
• Excretory system made up of 2 lateral canals with
branchings that end in flame cells (protonephridia).
– eg. Planaria
Eg. planaria Dugesia sp
 Protonephridia (flame cells)
• Function more for
osmoregulation
• Excess water (and waste
materials) absorbed into
flame cells;
• Materials moved along
excretory canal by cilia
movement to be discharged
via excretory pore
 Flame cell (protonephridia)

Excretory canal
 Flat worm – external features

A    Dorsal surface

B Dorsal and ventral surface;
1    Head
2    Anterior
3    Posterior
4    eye-spot
5    Sensory lobe
6  Dorsal surface
7 Mouth
8    Pharynx (extended when feeding)
9    Pharynx opening
10    Genital opening
11    Ventral surface (ciliated)
 
 
 
 
CLASS MONOGENEA

Parasites found in gills skin

of fish. Never in humans
CLASS TREMATODA
 Class Trematoda:
– All parasites, especially along digestive tract;
• Digenea – 2 host, one must be mollusca
• Aspidogastrea -1 host, normally mollusca
• Didymozoidea – in fish tissue
Life Cycle of Liver Fluke - Trematoda
CLASS CESTOIDEA
(tape worm)
Scolex

Hook
Sucker

Class Cestoda: Taenia sp. – tape worm found in pork