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http://home.austarnet.com.au/wormman/wormglos.htm#platyhelminthes

 

 

 

Worm Learn Glossary

 

 

Amoeba : A single celled organism which has no rigid body structure.

Amoebae move about and take in food by extending pseudopods. Examples

of parasitic amoebae include Entamoeba histolytica (cause of amoebic

dysentery) and Naegleria sp. and Acanthamoeba sp. (causes of

eosinophilic meningitis).

 

Arachnid : A group of arthropods normally featuring 4 pairs of legs

and two major body segments (cephalothorax and abdomen). Parasitic

arachnids include mites and ticks. The group also includes the spiders

and scorpions.

 

Arthropod : A group of organisms comprising a whole phylum to

themselves (Phylum Arthropoda). These organisms are characterised by

having a number of jointed legs, numerous body segments which may be

fused or unfused and a hard outer covering or exoskeleton made of

chitin. Phylum Arthopoda contains the following Classes : Insecta (

insects), Arachnida (spiders, mites, ticks, scorpions, etc), Chilopoda

(centipedes), Diplopoda (milipedes), and Crustacea (crabs, shrimp,

lobsters, water fleas, etc). Related groups include the Onychophora

(Peripatus, etc), the Tardigrades (water bears, etc) and the

Pentastomids (tongue worms).

 

B

C

Cestode : (see Tapeworms)

 

Cilia : Small beating hairs on the outside of cells. In complex

organisms like humans, these cilia may be found on cells lining the

respiratory passages, where they help the flow of mucus. In simpler

organisms they may aid in movement. Single-celled organisms which use

cilia to move around are called ciliates.

 

Commensal : A commensal organism is one which lives within the body of

another but does not normally cause any harm. In times of stress,

commensals may turn into pathogens (see opportunistic pathogen).

 

Cyst : In parasitology, the term cyst may have two meanings. Firstly,

a cyst may be the resistant dormant stage of a single-celled organism

which is passed out and encourages the propagation of the species.

Alternatively, cyst may refer to the intermediate stage of some

tapeworms (eg. hydatid cysts). This cyst must be eaten by the

definitive host for it to be infected.

 

D

Definitive Host : The definitive host is the organism which houses the

mature, or sexually reproducing stage of the parasite. For example,

the dog is the definitive host of the hydatid tapeworm, while the

mosquito is the definitive host of the malarial parasite.

 

Diarrhoea : Frequency of bowel movements or stool, often associated

with a loose consistency.

 

Dioecious : Having two sexes (as opposed to hermaphroditic).

 

Dysentery : Diarrhoea with associated blood and mucus discharge.

 

E

Ectoparasite : A parasite which lives principally on the outer surface

of an organism.

 

Endoparasite : A parasite which lives principally with the tissues of

an organism.

F

Filarial Worm : A group of long, hairlike nematodes in which the

adults live in the blood or tissues of vertebrates. In some species,

the larvae may be found in the blood. Examples of diseases caused by

filarial worms include Elephantiasis and River Blindness.

 

Flagellum : A long beating hair found on a cell which normally aids in

movement. Human sperm cells have a flagellum. Single-celled organisms

which move about using flagella are called Flagellates.

 

Flatworms : A group of organisms comprising a whole phylum (Phylum

Platyhelminthes). Flatworms have flat bodies (as the name suggests)

and are normally hermaphroditic. Phylum Platyhelminthes consists of

three classes : Class Trematoda (the flukes), Class Cestoda (the

tapeworms) and Class Tubellaria (the free-living flatworms eg.

Planarians and ribbon worms).

 

Flukes : A group of organisms chracterised by having a flat,

unsegmented body and complex multi-stage life-cycles. Flukes

(comprising Class Trematoda) are members of the Phylum

Platyhelminthes, or the flatworms, which also includes the Tapeworms

and the non-parasitic Turbellarians (eg. the Planarians). Flukes are

entirely parasitic, and are hermaphroditic, save for some groups (eg.

the Schistosomes). Examples of flukes include the liver fluke and the

schistosomes.

 

G

Geohelminth : A worm which spends a certain time during its lifecycle

living in the soil.

 

H

Helminth : (see Worm)

 

Hermaphrodite : A species in which one organism contains both sets of

sex organs.

 

Host : The organism in which a parasite lives.

 

I

Insect : A group of organisms comprising the Class Insecta of Phylum

Arthropoda. Insects are characterised by having 3 pairs of legs and

three major body segments (head, thorax and abdomen). Some species

have wings. Parasitic insects include the fleas and lice. Other

groups, such as flies, mosquitos and some beetles, are important

vectors of parasitic disease or intermediate hosts.

 

Intermediate Host : The organism which houses the immature or

non-sexually reproducing stage of a parasite. For example, the sheep

is the normal intermediate host for the hydatid tapeworm, while humans

are the intermediate host for the malarial parasite.

 

J

K

L

Larva : An immature stage of an organism which bears no structural

resemblence to the mature stage. For example, a maggot is the larva of

a fly, a caterpillar is the larva of a moth or butterfly. Remember : A

caterpillar is just a butterfly maggot.

 

M

N

Nematode : A group of organisms also known as the Roundworms.

Nematodes have what can only be described as a typical " worm " shape -

long, tapered at the ends and round in cross-section (think of the

shape of an earthworm, but earthworms are not nematodes). They have an

internal body cavity, with recognisable digestive and reproductive

tracts. Nematodes are generally dioecious. They reproduce by laying

eggs, or larvae which hatch from their eggs inside the body of the

female worm. They are among the most common multicellular parasite of

humans in the world, although the majority of nematodes are not

parasitic, living in the soil. Examples of parasitic roundworms

include Human Roundworm (Ascaris), Pinworm/Threadworm, Whipworm,

Hookworm and Filarial Worms.

 

Nymph : An immature stage of an organism which largely resembles the

adult stage, save for some minor differences. For example, cockroach

nymphs can be differentiated from the adults by the fact that the

nymphs do not have wings.

 

O

Obligate Parasite : A parasite which cannot survive or reproduce

outside the body of its host organism.

 

Opportunistic Pathogen : An organism which is normally harmless

(qv.Commensal), but which may turn nasty if given the opportunity. For

example, one of the dangers for people in the last stages of HIV

infection is infection by any number of organisms which pose no threat

to individuals with fully functioning immune systems.

 

P

Parasite : Believe it or not, parasitism can be a slippery term to

define. The word parasite can be liberally translated from the Greek

to mean " eating at the same table " . Therefore, some people define a

parasite as any animal which is wholly dependent upon another animal

for its food supply. While certainly broad (and most animals defined

as parasites certainly fall under this classification), it can also

extend to any predator-scavenger relationship (we certainly don't

describe hyenas as parasitic on lions). Other definitions concentrate

on where the parasite lives, stating that a parasite must live on or

in its host. This definition is even less satisfactory, as there are

many organisms which are transitory residents which we do not define

as parasites (eg. normal microbial flora on the skin). The definition

I favour is a combination of the two above, which is best described in

my ancient edition of the Pocket Oxford Dictionary :

 

pa'rasite, n. Interested hanger-on, toady, sycophant; animal or plant

living in or on another & drawing nutriment from it.

 

Of course, this is not perfect, and I like to modify it to read

" animal or plant living in or on another animal or plant which is

wholly dependent that other for food. " There are exceptions to every

rule, and most organisms should be dealt with on an individual basis.

 

Paratenic Host : A host in which the parasite does not undergo any

development. For example, dogs and pigs may carry hookworm eggs from

one place to another, but the eggs do not hatch or pass through any

development in these animals.

 

Parthenogenesis : A process which may occur in some sexually

reproducing animals where offspring are produced without fertilisation.

 

Pathogen : Any organism which causes harm to its host.

 

Platyhelminthes : (see Flatworms)

 

Protozoa : A subgroup of the Kingdom Protista, or the single-celled

organisms. The name Protozoa is a carry-over from an old system of

classification and is generally used to described those single-celled

organisms which show more animal than plant characteristics.

Naturally, such a distinction is meaningless, as animals and plants

belong to completely different kingdoms, but in general, Protozoa

refers to those organisms which do not carry out photosynthesis.

Parasitic protozoa comprise a number of subgroups : The

Sarcomastigophora (amoebae and flagellates), The Ciliates (ciliated

organisms), the Sporozoa (malaria, Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium and

allies), and the Microsporidia.

 

Pupa : The " dormant " stage in the life-cycle of some insects where the

larva changes into the adult (or imago).

 

Q

R

Roundworm : (see Nematode)

 

Ringworm : A commonly mistaken term. Ringworm is the common name given

to skin infections by certain fungi. The correct term is Tinea. The

condition is not caused by a worm at all, and the name dates from a

time where all ailments were blamed on worms of some description.

 

S

Schistosomes : A group of Flukes which live in the blood vessels of

their hosts. Unlike most other flukes, the schistosomes are dioecious.

 

Sporozoan : A group of single celled organisms which are characterised

by having a sexual and an asexual generation in their life-cycle.

Examples of parasitic Sporozoans include the malarial parasites,

Toxoplasma and Cryptosporidium.

 

T

Trophozoite : The active or feeding stage of a single-celled organism.

 

U

V

Vector : An organism which transmits a parasitic organism from one

host to another. Mechanical Vectors merely carry the organism from one

place to another (eg. flies carrying faeces on their feet), while

other vectors may form a necessary part of the life-cycle (eg.

mosquitos in malaria).

 

W

Worm : A multicellular organism which is generally longer than it is

wide or deep. The scientific name for worms is Helminth. In human

parasitic terms there are three major gorups of organisms which are

properly called worms : The Nematodes, the Flukes and the Tapeworms.

These and other sorts of worms may parasitise other organisms eg. The

Acanthacephalans (thorny headed worms) and The Gordians (horsehair

worms). Other sorts of worms are free living eg. free-living

nematodes, The Annelids (eg. earthworms, polychaetes, leeches, etc),

Planarians (and other Turbellarians).

 

X

Y

Z

Zoonosis : An infection of a human by an organism which is usually

parasitic in other hosts. For example, since hydatid tapeworms are

usually found in dogs and sheep, hydatid disease is usually considered

to be a zoonosis in humans.

 

 

WormLearn Logo

Take me back to the main page . . .

 

This page Copyright 1997 Dr Peter Darben.

Last Updated 19.9.2000

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  • 3 weeks later...

*TO RID WORMS: USE THYME OIL ALSO CALLED THYMOL.Thymol is used by Drs

 

 

 

 

, " califpacific "

<califpacific wrote:

>

> http://home.austarnet.com.au/wormman/wormglos.htm#platyhelminthes

>

>

>

> Worm Learn Glossary

>

>

> Amoeba : A single celled organism which has no rigid body

structure.

> Amoebae move about and take in food by extending pseudopods.

Examples

> of parasitic amoebae include Entamoeba histolytica (cause of

amoebic

> dysentery) and Naegleria sp. and Acanthamoeba sp. (causes of

> eosinophilic meningitis).

>

> Arachnid : A group of arthropods normally featuring 4 pairs of legs

> and two major body segments (cephalothorax and abdomen). Parasitic

> arachnids include mites and ticks. The group also includes the

spiders

> and scorpions.

>

> Arthropod : A group of organisms comprising a whole phylum to

> themselves (Phylum Arthropoda). These organisms are characterised

by

> having a number of jointed legs, numerous body segments which may

be

> fused or unfused and a hard outer covering or exoskeleton made of

> chitin. Phylum Arthopoda contains the following Classes : Insecta (

> insects), Arachnida (spiders, mites, ticks, scorpions, etc),

Chilopoda

> (centipedes), Diplopoda (milipedes), and Crustacea (crabs, shrimp,

> lobsters, water fleas, etc). Related groups include the Onychophora

> (Peripatus, etc), the Tardigrades (water bears, etc) and the

> Pentastomids (tongue worms).

>

> B

> C

> Cestode : (see Tapeworms)

>

> Cilia : Small beating hairs on the outside of cells. In complex

> organisms like humans, these cilia may be found on cells lining the

> respiratory passages, where they help the flow of mucus. In simpler

> organisms they may aid in movement. Single-celled organisms which

use

> cilia to move around are called ciliates.

>

> Commensal : A commensal organism is one which lives within the

body of

> another but does not normally cause any harm. In times of stress,

> commensals may turn into pathogens (see opportunistic pathogen).

>

> Cyst : In parasitology, the term cyst may have two meanings.

Firstly,

> a cyst may be the resistant dormant stage of a single-celled

organism

> which is passed out and encourages the propagation of the species.

> Alternatively, cyst may refer to the intermediate stage of some

> tapeworms (eg. hydatid cysts). This cyst must be eaten by the

> definitive host for it to be infected.

>

> D

> Definitive Host : The definitive host is the organism which houses

the

> mature, or sexually reproducing stage of the parasite. For example,

> the dog is the definitive host of the hydatid tapeworm, while the

> mosquito is the definitive host of the malarial parasite.

>

> Diarrhoea : Frequency of bowel movements or stool, often associated

> with a loose consistency.

>

> Dioecious : Having two sexes (as opposed to hermaphroditic).

>

> Dysentery : Diarrhoea with associated blood and mucus discharge.

>

> E

> Ectoparasite : A parasite which lives principally on the outer

surface

> of an organism.

>

> Endoparasite : A parasite which lives principally with the tissues

of

> an organism.

> F

> Filarial Worm : A group of long, hairlike nematodes in which the

> adults live in the blood or tissues of vertebrates. In some

species,

> the larvae may be found in the blood. Examples of diseases caused

by

> filarial worms include Elephantiasis and River Blindness.

>

> Flagellum : A long beating hair found on a cell which normally

aids in

> movement. Human sperm cells have a flagellum. Single-celled

organisms

> which move about using flagella are called Flagellates.

>

> Flatworms : A group of organisms comprising a whole phylum (Phylum

> Platyhelminthes). Flatworms have flat bodies (as the name suggests)

> and are normally hermaphroditic. Phylum Platyhelminthes consists of

> three classes : Class Trematoda (the flukes), Class Cestoda (the

> tapeworms) and Class Tubellaria (the free-living flatworms eg.

> Planarians and ribbon worms).

>

> Flukes : A group of organisms chracterised by having a flat,

> unsegmented body and complex multi-stage life-cycles. Flukes

> (comprising Class Trematoda) are members of the Phylum

> Platyhelminthes, or the flatworms, which also includes the

Tapeworms

> and the non-parasitic Turbellarians (eg. the Planarians). Flukes

are

> entirely parasitic, and are hermaphroditic, save for some groups

(eg.

> the Schistosomes). Examples of flukes include the liver fluke and

the

> schistosomes.

>

> G

> Geohelminth : A worm which spends a certain time during its

lifecycle

> living in the soil.

>

> H

> Helminth : (see Worm)

>

> Hermaphrodite : A species in which one organism contains both sets

of

> sex organs.

>

> Host : The organism in which a parasite lives.

>

> I

> Insect : A group of organisms comprising the Class Insecta of

Phylum

> Arthropoda. Insects are characterised by having 3 pairs of legs and

> three major body segments (head, thorax and abdomen). Some species

> have wings. Parasitic insects include the fleas and lice. Other

> groups, such as flies, mosquitos and some beetles, are important

> vectors of parasitic disease or intermediate hosts.

>

> Intermediate Host : The organism which houses the immature or

> non-sexually reproducing stage of a parasite. For example, the

sheep

> is the normal intermediate host for the hydatid tapeworm, while

humans

> are the intermediate host for the malarial parasite.

>

> J

> K

> L

> Larva : An immature stage of an organism which bears no structural

> resemblence to the mature stage. For example, a maggot is the

larva of

> a fly, a caterpillar is the larva of a moth or butterfly.

Remember : A

> caterpillar is just a butterfly maggot.

>

> M

> N

> Nematode : A group of organisms also known as the Roundworms.

> Nematodes have what can only be described as a typical " worm "

shape -

> long, tapered at the ends and round in cross-section (think of the

> shape of an earthworm, but earthworms are not nematodes). They

have an

> internal body cavity, with recognisable digestive and reproductive

> tracts. Nematodes are generally dioecious. They reproduce by laying

> eggs, or larvae which hatch from their eggs inside the body of the

> female worm. They are among the most common multicellular parasite

of

> humans in the world, although the majority of nematodes are not

> parasitic, living in the soil. Examples of parasitic roundworms

> include Human Roundworm (Ascaris), Pinworm/Threadworm, Whipworm,

> Hookworm and Filarial Worms.

>

> Nymph : An immature stage of an organism which largely resembles

the

> adult stage, save for some minor differences. For example,

cockroach

> nymphs can be differentiated from the adults by the fact that the

> nymphs do not have wings.

>

> O

> Obligate Parasite : A parasite which cannot survive or reproduce

> outside the body of its host organism.

>

> Opportunistic Pathogen : An organism which is normally harmless

> (qv.Commensal), but which may turn nasty if given the opportunity.

For

> example, one of the dangers for people in the last stages of HIV

> infection is infection by any number of organisms which pose no

threat

> to individuals with fully functioning immune systems.

>

> P

> Parasite : Believe it or not, parasitism can be a slippery term to

> define. The word parasite can be liberally translated from the

Greek

> to mean " eating at the same table " . Therefore, some people define a

> parasite as any animal which is wholly dependent upon another

animal

> for its food supply. While certainly broad (and most animals

defined

> as parasites certainly fall under this classification), it can also

> extend to any predator-scavenger relationship (we certainly don't

> describe hyenas as parasitic on lions). Other definitions

concentrate

> on where the parasite lives, stating that a parasite must live on

or

> in its host. This definition is even less satisfactory, as there

are

> many organisms which are transitory residents which we do not

define

> as parasites (eg. normal microbial flora on the skin). The

definition

> I favour is a combination of the two above, which is best

described in

> my ancient edition of the Pocket Oxford Dictionary :

>

> pa'rasite, n. Interested hanger-on, toady, sycophant; animal or

plant

> living in or on another & drawing nutriment from it.

>

> Of course, this is not perfect, and I like to modify it to read

> " animal or plant living in or on another animal or plant which is

> wholly dependent that other for food. " There are exceptions to

every

> rule, and most organisms should be dealt with on an individual

basis.

>

> Paratenic Host : A host in which the parasite does not undergo any

> development. For example, dogs and pigs may carry hookworm eggs

from

> one place to another, but the eggs do not hatch or pass through any

> development in these animals.

>

> Parthenogenesis : A process which may occur in some sexually

> reproducing animals where offspring are produced without

fertilisation.

>

> Pathogen : Any organism which causes harm to its host.

>

> Platyhelminthes : (see Flatworms)

>

> Protozoa : A subgroup of the Kingdom Protista, or the single-celled

> organisms. The name Protozoa is a carry-over from an old system of

> classification and is generally used to described those single-

celled

> organisms which show more animal than plant characteristics.

> Naturally, such a distinction is meaningless, as animals and plants

> belong to completely different kingdoms, but in general, Protozoa

> refers to those organisms which do not carry out photosynthesis.

> Parasitic protozoa comprise a number of subgroups : The

> Sarcomastigophora (amoebae and flagellates), The Ciliates (ciliated

> organisms), the Sporozoa (malaria, Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium and

> allies), and the Microsporidia.

>

> Pupa : The " dormant " stage in the life-cycle of some insects where

the

> larva changes into the adult (or imago).

>

> Q

> R

> Roundworm : (see Nematode)

>

> Ringworm : A commonly mistaken term. Ringworm is the common name

given

> to skin infections by certain fungi. The correct term is Tinea. The

> condition is not caused by a worm at all, and the name dates from a

> time where all ailments were blamed on worms of some description.

>

> S

> Schistosomes : A group of Flukes which live in the blood vessels of

> their hosts. Unlike most other flukes, the schistosomes are

dioecious.

>

> Sporozoan : A group of single celled organisms which are

characterised

> by having a sexual and an asexual generation in their life-cycle.

> Examples of parasitic Sporozoans include the malarial parasites,

> Toxoplasma and Cryptosporidium.

>

> T

> Trophozoite : The active or feeding stage of a single-celled

organism.

>

> U

> V

> Vector : An organism which transmits a parasitic organism from one

> host to another. Mechanical Vectors merely carry the organism from

one

> place to another (eg. flies carrying faeces on their feet), while

> other vectors may form a necessary part of the life-cycle (eg.

> mosquitos in malaria).

>

> W

> Worm : A multicellular organism which is generally longer than it

is

> wide or deep. The scientific name for worms is Helminth. In human

> parasitic terms there are three major gorups of organisms which are

> properly called worms : The Nematodes, the Flukes and the

Tapeworms.

> These and other sorts of worms may parasitise other organisms eg.

The

> Acanthacephalans (thorny headed worms) and The Gordians (horsehair

> worms). Other sorts of worms are free living eg. free-living

> nematodes, The Annelids (eg. earthworms, polychaetes, leeches,

etc),

> Planarians (and other Turbellarians).

>

> X

> Y

> Z

> Zoonosis : An infection of a human by an organism which is usually

> parasitic in other hosts. For example, since hydatid tapeworms are

> usually found in dogs and sheep, hydatid disease is usually

considered

> to be a zoonosis in humans.

>

>

> WormLearn Logo

> Take me back to the main page . . .

>

> This page Copyright 1997 Dr Peter Darben.

> Last Updated 19.9.2000

>

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