Phylum Platyhelminthes
A) Class Turbellaria (Planarians)
The most common of all members in this class is the simple planarian. View below…
http://www.albion.edu/fac/biol/pearson/TURB006P.GIF
The most interesting evolutionary feature of this organism, as with all members of these phyla, is the presence of cephalization. Read about the nervous system here…
http://www.wfu.edu/~mackgr5/platy.htm
Planarians are capable of very simple conditioning tasks, such as avoidance
of electrical shocks (due to the memory of earlier ones). These "memories"
are biochemical in nature. View the following site and scroll down to the
section titled "Biochemical Memory in Flatworms"
2. Bonus question: A baby is fitted with a leather strap around its forehead. There is a tiny hammer (very tiny) which has the capability to swing down and tap the baby between the eyes. Note: There is a reflexive response in humans to blink when this happens. A researcher fits this on a baby's head, rings a bell, then the baby is tapped between the eyes. This is done for 5-10 minutes. The device is taken off. The bell is then rung and the baby blinks.
Another baby is taken in. The same procedure is followed as with the
first baby. However, the baby does not blink. What happened?
Also of importance are the digestive and excretory systems. Again, these systems are crude by human standards but reflect important biological advances…
http://www.wfu.edu/~mackgr5/platy.htm
6. It was mentioned before that the presence of a digestive and excretory
system was an important biological advancement. Why is that so? What systematic
benefit does it provide to the organism?
Reproduction, as in many of the organisms we have studied, is varied in planarians. Go back to this site and summarize the ways planaria reproduce.
http://www.wfu.edu/~mackgr5/platy.htm
B) Class Trematoda (Flukes)
This class is fairly similar to Turbellaria, however their life cycles differ.
Following an explanation of the life cycle of a common liver fluke…
http://lenoir.ces.state.nc.us/staff/jnix/pubs/liver.fluke.html
7. Assume that you have a herd of cattle which are infect by the liver fluke. How could you avoid contamination in the future?
8. How could you break the life cycle of the liver fluke? (This is a
different question than above, read carefully!)
Schistosomiasis is a serious blood born disease in Third World counties caused by a species of fluke.
http:/wwwwho.int/ctd/html/schistodis.htm
10. What are some ways the eggs of the worm can infect a human?
C) Class Cestoda
An overview of the Cestodes…commonly known as tapeworms….
http://web.missouri.edu/~vmicrorc/platyhelminths/cestodes/tsaginata.htm
Some pictures…
http://www.biosci.ohio-state.edu/~parasite/tetraphyllidea.html
11. Abdominal pain is one symptom of the presence of a tapeworm. What
could another symptom possibly be?
And now a very odd, poetic view of this parasite…
http://www2.thecia.net/users/dfan/hbob/lyrics/tapeworm.htm
Phylum Nematoda
Common refered to as the roundworms these differ in morphology many still lead a parasitic lifestyle. The most common roundworm, Ascaris, is found below..
Read the overview of nematodes…
http://ianrwww.unl.edu/ianr/plntpath/nematode/wormgen.htm
Ascaris
A general link to these roundworms….
http://www.path.cam.ac.uk/~tjs16/Nematodes/Ascaris.html
13. Name one parasitic similarity between Ascaris and a tapeworm.
Members of these phyla probably get a bad reputation (maybe deservedly
so). However, with the knowledge of their biology and function, they can
be used to kill crop eating insects.
http://ianr/plntpath/nematode/epn/epnintro.htm
14. How are these nematodes introduced into
the insects?
15. How are the insects killed? 16. What are the possible adverse ramifications of the use of nematodes as a pesticide? |