PHYLUM PLATYHELMINTHES (flatworms)

- small, soft-bodied
- aquatic
- does not burrow
- lacks coelom, hemal system, cuticle
- in parasitics = lacks gut and epidermis
- diffusion limited animals
- acoelomate
- triploblastic = 3 tissue layers
o ecto
o meso
o endo
- bilateral symmetry
- helminth = worm
- mostly parasitic, except turbellaria
Class Turbellaria
- macro and microturbellaria
- aquatic, marine
Body Wall
- monolayered, ciliated epidermis
- turbellaria = whirlpool = swirling motion of
ciliated epidermis
- basal lamina beneath epidermis
- lacks cuticle
- basal lamina + intracellular fibers =
support body
o most common = actin filaments
- glandular epidermis
o mucus
o adhesive, etc
o frontal gland = role in defense,
slime prod, adhesion)
o adhesive gland temporary
adhesion
o duo-gland organs
viscid cement to sand
grain
releasing de-adhesive
anchor cell bears strains of
attachment
- rhabdoids rod shaped secretions
o most common type= rhabdite
Musculature and Locomotion
- 2 layers (grid-like)
o outer circular
o inner longitudinal

between to layers = 2 sets of diagonal

muscles
o muscular creeping, swimming,
retraction, extension. Peristalsis,
twisting, turning, waving,
somersaulting
Nervous System
- ringl-ike brain, nerve nets
- some have multiple nerve nets, bilateral
brain, 2 ventrolateral nerve cords
- lacks ganglia, except in brain
- sensor, motor, interneurons present
- Ocelli eyes(?) orientation to light
- Statocyst gravity receptor
o Contains statolith
Parenchyma
- connective tissue compartment
- between body-wall and musculature
o microturbellarians extracellular
matrix nearly absent; parenchyma
= cellular
o freshwater catenulids
extracellular matrix + parenchyma
= fibrous = forms hemocoel
- epidermal replacement cells replaces
damaged/destroyed epidermal cells
o immediately below body surface
o migrate to body wall surface
o contains clusters of centrioles
turbellarians = neoblasts =
wound healing and
regeneration
- fixed parenchymal cells large cells;
makes gap junctions between other
parenchymal cells + epidermal +
gastrodermal cells
o LINKS all tissue layers together
- Planarians Pigment cells +
chromatophores = lighten and darken
Digestive System
- turbellarians = digestive cavity/gut = blind
sac and mouth for ingestion and egestion
- anus/multiple anuses
- gut wall = single layered, composed of
phagocytic and gland cells
- pharynx ciliated tube
o simple Macrostomida &
Catenulida
-

plicate folded plyclads, triclads,

proseriates
o bulbous rhabdo muscular,
sucking bulb
o no pharynx = Acoela
- Excretion
o Ammonia - diffusion
o Releases thru protonephredia
Reproduction
- regeneration
o blastema mass of neoblasts
- Clonal
o Paratomy parents body to chain
of zooids to fission to separate
individuals
o Architomy
differentiation/regeneration after
fission
- all are hermaphrodites
o copulation + internal fertilization
- male part
o testis vas deferens seminal
vesicles (storage sac)
o penis armed with stylet
- female part
o gonopore(vagina), copulatory
bursa, seminal receptacle
o ovaries, oviduct, gonopore
o uterus temporary storage sac
- Homocellular ovary
o yolk = integral part of eggs
cytoplasm
o Entolecithal
- Heterocellular overy
o Neoophora
o 2 regions
germarium production of
eggs
vitellarium production of
yolk-filled eggs =
vitellocytes
germavitellarium if
combined
ectolicethal = enclosed in
capsule
- Hypodermic impregnation = penis&stylets
enter body wall of partner and deposits
sperm
o

Goettes larvae = 4 arms

Muellers larvae = 8 arms
Freshwater turbellarians 2 types of eggs
o Summer = egg capsule short eriod
o Resting = thicker more resistant
capsule
- Gastrula epiboly - stereoblastula
PHYLOGENY
- planula theory
o L. Von Graff
o Libbie Hyman
o Turbellarians and cnidarians arose
from planuloid (resembled planula
larva)
- Coelomate theory
o Arised from coelomate ancestor
o Anatomical simplification
- Pedomorphosis
o Coelomate ancestor underwent
differentiation
NEODERMATA
- parasitic flatworms
- sucking, bulbous pharynx
- replaced cellular epidermis
- NEODERMIS nonciliated, syncytial layer
- Cytons neoblast bodies contains
nucleus
- Substance needs to cross syncytial layer
before entering cell
- Uptake is more regulated
CLASS TREMATODA
1. Digenea
o Flukes
o Endoparasite of all vertebrates
o 2 or more hosts
o or 2 or more infective stages
o first intermediate host
o second intermediate host
o final/definitive host
- zygote miracidium sporocyst redia
cercaria metacercaria adult
adult lays eggs
leaves host thru feces,urine
in land, eggs ingested by
snail or
in water, hatch into ciliated
miracidium(penetrates body
wall of snail)
-

inside snail, transforms into

sporocyst
sporocyst into more
sporocysts or a redia
inside redia, embryo
develops to cercaria
cercaria leaves snail,
searches for intermediate
host or encysts as a
metacercaria
form and function
dorso-ventrally flattened
oral sucker surrounds
mouth
ventral sucker posterior or
midventral
covered by neodermis
bulbous pharynx
Reproduction
heterocellular,ectolecithal
cross fertilization
male system
testes
sperm ducts
external seminal
vesicle
cirrus sac(internal)
o cirrus
o prostate
common genital
atrium
female
single ovary
oviduct
ootype
Mehlis gland
Uterus
Laurers
canal(vestigial
vagina)
Development
Zygote = somatic & stem
cell
Somatic = body
Stem = germ line
Polyembryony origin of
stem cells, division of
zygote into two blastomeres

Parthogenesis eggs that

develop without fertilization
in stem cell masses of
sporocyst and redial stages
SUPERCLASS ASPIDOGASTREA
- resembles digenea
- distinguishing trait = ADHESIVE GLAND
( single septate sucker covering entire
ventral surface or longitudinal row of
suckers )
- endoparasires of gut of fish and turtle
- pericardial and renal cavities of bivalve
molluscs
TAXON CERCOMEROMORPHA
- SISTER TAXON OF TREMATODA
- Parasitic flatworms
- Crescent shaped hooks on posterioir
appendage, cercomer

Class Monogenea
- host specific
- ectoparasite, some endo
- haptor posterior attachment organ &
bears hooks and suckers
- egge develops to oncomiracidium (hooked
miracidium)
- adhesive glaaands
- cross + self fertilization
Life cycle example
- dactylogyrus
o gills of freshwater fishes
o eggs dropped in bottom
o hatch into oncomiracidia
o enter host fish
o becomes adult
o egg production
- Polystoma integerrinum
o Eggs produced stay inside frog
until it goes back to water
o Released during breeding
o Oncomiracidium attaches to gills of
tadpole
o Tadpole metamorphoses, parasite
leaves gills, goes to belly, enters
bladder
o Then produces eggs
CLASS CESTODA
- most evolutionary

gut is absent
highly specialized neodermis
o form and function
tapeworms
scolex attachement
narrow neck
strobila segmentented
trunk
proglottid each segment
mirotriches specialized
microvilli in neodermis
o repro
strobilation = serial
formation of proglottids
each proglotid has
reproductive system
self fertilization can occur in
2 or even 1 proglottid
cross fertilization
zygote oncosphere larva(intermediate or
definitive host) metamorphosis
extraintestinal juvenile (metacestode)
intestinal adult
Diphyllobothrium latum
o Eggs to ciliated oncosphere

Ingested by copepod, penetrates

copepods intestinal wall sheds
ciliated epidermis
o Enters hemocoel develops into a
procercoid
o Penetrates gut metacestode or
plerocercoid
o Turns into adult
Taenia saginata (beef tapeworm)
o Eggs eaten by cattle
o Hatches in gut into oncosphere
o Bores into intestinal wall,
transported to striated muscle
o Develops into metacestode called
cysticercus(oval worm)
Taenia solium (pork tapeworm)
o Pigs
Taenia pisiformis
o Cats and dogs, rabbit intermediate
host
o Causes diarrhea, weight loss,
adverse reactions to toxins of
worm
Echinococcus granulosus
o Dog tapeworm
o