Video - Nematodes

3 Species Examples - Platyhelminthes - Tapeworm and flat worm

Platyhelminthes –tapeworm and flat worms

1.       Soft-bodied invertebrate animals.  They have no body cavity.  And no specialized circulatory and respiratory organs, which restrict them to, flattened shapes that allow oxygen and nutrients to pass through their bodies by diffusion.  (tapeworm)

2.       Infection of the digestive system by adult tapeworms causes abdominal symptoms that are unpleasant but not disabling or life threatening. (tapeworm)

3. They contain rudimentary organ systems such as: a ladder-like nervous system with a small brain and in some cases photosensitive eyespots. A network of flame cells used to sweep nitrogen waste out of the body. (flat worms)

4. Tapeworm infections are usually diagnosed by finding segments which appear as small white worms that may look like grains of rice or seeds in the rear end of a dog, in a dog’s feces, or where a dog lives and sleeps. (dog tapeworm)

5. A fluke is a type of small, parasitic flatworm that feeds on the blood or body of its host. (liver fluke)

Dog tapeworm 

 Human Tapeworm

Liver Fluke

3 Species Examples - Nematodes - Roundworms

Nematodes

1. Roundworms can be found in either pet or human intestines. There are over 15,000 named species of roundworm.

2. roundworms are usually so tiny that you cannot see them with a bare eye.

3. Varying in length from less than one-tenth of an inch to more than three feet, roundworms can cause multiple human diseases that can very in the danger scale.

4. Nematodes are known to not contain any type of blood vascular system.

5. Nematodes may be free-living, predaceous, or parasitic, and many of the parasitic species cause important diseases of plants, animals, and humans.

3 Species Examples - Annelid Leeches

1. Found in Marine environment
2. Blood-sucking parasites, mainly on fish
3. Have suckers at both ends of their bodies and use these to move
4. Have a fixed maximum number of segments while other groups of annelids add segments throughout their lives.
5. Leeches are sometimes used for medical reasons.  They have been used to assist in microsurgery, and their saliva has provided anti-inflammatory compounds and several important anticoagulants one of which also prevents tumors from spreading.

Class Specimen Determination

1.       Annelida – segmented worm

a.       Earthworm

b.      Leech

c.       Amphitrie

d.      Sand worm

2.       Nematodes- round worms

a.       Roundworm

b.      Nemathelminthes -Toxocara

3.       Platyhelminthes – flat worms

a.       Taenia

b.      Tapeworm

c.       Dog tapeworm

d.      Liver Fluke 

Major Diversity/ Classes

 1.       Annelida

a.       Class Polychaeta - all marine environment worms

b.      Class Oligochaeta - Earthworms

c.       Class Hirudinea - Leeches

2.       Platyhelminthes

a.       Class turbellaria - Free living flatworms 

b.      Class Monogenea - small parasitic flukes 

c.       Class Trematoda - Parasitic flukes, sheep liver flukes, blood flukes

d.      Class Cestoda - parasitic tapeworms that live in humans, dogs, cats, cows, ect.

3.       Nematodes

                        a.  Class Chromadorea- roundworm

                        b.  Class Secernentea - main class of nematodes, characterized by numerous caudal papillae or group of sensory organs that are used for identification of nematodes.    

Dissection - Earthworm

This is the Cerebral Ganglion, otherwise known as the earthworms brain.

Dissection - Earthworm

The Black structures are the hearts for the Earthworm (1 of 5) - An organ that helps pump blood around the body and keeps the blood pressure steady.

Dissection - Earthworm

This is the Earthworms intestine.

Dissection - Earthworm

This is the Gizzard, located right beneath the Crop. The gizzard is a pocket used as the stomach.

Dissection - Earthworm

Large White Part is the Seminal Vesicle.  The Seminal Vesicles are small hollow organs that produce, store, and release sperm. Small White part is the Seminal receptacle.  The seminal receptacle is a pocket related to the semen.

Dissection - Earthworm

Earthworm after being split open

Dissection - Earthworm

Crop of the Earthworm.  The crop is a bulge of the esophagus.  

Dissection - Earthworm

Before dissecting the earthworm

Platyhelminthes - Video

Annelida - Video

Tapeworm Drug Inhibits Colon Cancer Metastasis - Research Article

This article was mainly about a drug used against tapeworm infections. The drug is now effective on colon cancer metastasis the compound silences a gene that triggers the formation of metastases in colon cancer. Professor Ulrike Stein and her research group made this discovery in collaboration with Professor Robert H. Shoemaker of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Frederick, Maryland.  Plans have been made to conduct a clinical to help those in need. Colon cancer is a common type of malignancy in which there is uncontrolled growth of the cells that line the inside of the colon or rectum, it is the most commonly known diseases in all of western countries. 20 percent of the colon cancer patients already have metastases at diagnosis and in about one third of the patients, metastasis occurs despite successful initial treatment.

                Scientists have known for several years that the gene S100A4/metastasin can initiate colon cancer metastasis. Five years ago Professor Stein, Professor Schlag and, Professor Walter Birchmeier (MDC), showed how this gene is regulated. They found that the beta-catenin gene, when mutant, activates this S100A4/metastasin gene, thus triggering colon cancer metastasis. Afterwards, the scientist tried to figure out way to block the metastasin gene; they found 1280 compounds in which they were searching for. niclosamide, a drug until now approved for use to treat intestinal parasite infections from tapeworms. The researchers want to conduct clinical trials to find out whether the compound is also effective in patients with metastasizing colon cancer.