Unit 4:  Acoelomate Animals:  Phylum Platyhelminthes,  Phylum Nemertea

1.  Discuss the current triploblastic acoelomate body plan.
2.  Discuss the concept of the organ/system level of organization and apply this to the phylums to be studied in this unit.
3.  Define bilateral symmetry and cephalization.
4.  Compare the enbryo development in cnidarians and in the higher metazoa, including presence, formation and function of the mesoderm.
5.  Explain what excretion consists of and tell why excretory systems are necessary in the more complex animal groups.
6.  Describe flame cells and their function in general, and the excretory system of planaria in particular.
7.  Briefly describe these advances of the flatworms over previously studied phyla:  symmetry, nervous and sensory systems, mesoderm formation, muscle systems, excretory systems, digestive systems and reproductive systems.
8.  Explain the terms hermaphroditic, monoecious and dioecious, and state what animal types in general are hermaphroditic.
9.  List features which will be expected in higher phyla but are not possessed by the flatworms, and tell why these features are unnecessary in flatworms.
10.  State the probable evolutionary relationship between free-living species and parasitic species in the same group, and describe three ways in which a species must change as it evolves from a free-living form to a parasitic way of life.
11.  Briefly describe planaria's taxic responses, nervous system, method of feeding and digestion of food, muscular system and reproduction.
12.  Describe regeneration in planaria.
13.  List and briefly describe the ways in which the Trematoda differ from the Turbellaria.
14.  List and discuss specific trends displayed by organisms that have developed a parasitic mode of existance.
15.  Describe the morphology of Clonorchis sinensis as an example of a digenetic trematode, and outling the life cycle of this species, including hosts, larval stages, and means of transmission from host to host.
16.  Outline the life cycle of Schistosoma mansoni and describe the medicinal importance of schistosomiasis.
17.  Discuss the critical aspect of reproductive potential with regard to trematodes and cestodes, describe the numbers game they must play in order to survive.
18.  Diagram the morphology of a tapeworm including descriptions of the scolex, strobila and proglottids, tell how tapeworms differ from trematodes.
19.  Outline the life cycles of D. latum the fish tapeworm and T. saginatus the beef tapeworm.
20.  Describe the evolutionary significance of the Phylum Nemertea.

Resources:  Text:  Animal Diversity, Chapter 8
Internet resources:
    http://www.wfu.edu/users/mackgr5/platy.htm
    http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/d/m/dmf177/
    http://www.mhhe.com/hickmanad4e

Acoelomates  body plan  pg 147-148

Ectoderm (1)
 
 
 
 

Mesoderm (3)    mesodermal organ         gut- Endoderm (2)
 

    -no coelom, gut only internal cavity
    -TRIPLOBLASTIC; three well defined germ layers (Endo, Ecto, Meso)
    -organ/system level of organization

3 ACOELOMATE PHYLA
    *Phylum Platyhelminthes (flat worms)
     Phylum Nemertea (ribbon worms)
     Phylum Gnathostomulida (jaw worms)

BILATERAL SYMMETRY
    -appears early in development
    -correlated with cephalization (origin of head region)

    -quick responses to stimuli
    -concentration of sensory cells

Muscular system} well developed in free living forms but not parasitic forms
Nervous system} well developed in free living forms but not parasitic forms
Digestive system} well developed in free living forms but not parasitic forms
Excretory system} well developed in free living forms but not parasitic forms

Phylum Platyhelminthes  pg 146  summary pg 147 ~ 13,000 species
    -terrestrial, marine, freshwater
    -dorso-ventrally flattened
    -protonephridium- organ of osmoregulation

    -2 of 3 class we will see are entirely parasitic

     CLASS TURBELLARIA (free living flatworms)
        -bodies flattened dorso-ventrally

        -ciliated epidermis w/ RHABDITES

        -mouth ventral, leading to gastrovascular cavity
        -anus lacking

        -direct development
        -Planaria

        -Digestive, Excretory, Nervous systems
            *very divergent in form
            *5 basic types based on gut

            NERVOUS SYSTEM
                1. Nerve net- sub-epidermal (nerve plexus)

                2. "brain"- 2 or more nerve cords, longitudinal, connected laterally to form ladder
                3. Sensory cells
                    a. chemoreceptors
                    b. mechanoreceptors

                    **a and b are cells w/ sensory cilia

                    c. eyes- 1 or more pairs; light detection only

                    d. statocysts- equilibrium, in head region (anterior)

        DIGESTION- mouth, pharynx, intestine (not complete), no anus.

            -Turbellarian pharynx extends out of mouth on ventral surface
                *intestines simple or branched
                *extracellular digestion in intestine w/ enzymes

                *intracellular digestion in intestine uses phagocytosis

        OSMOREGULATION/ EXCRETION
            -Protonephridia
                *branched tubule ("duct") terminating in a number of blind capillaries that
                    open to outside pores (nephridiopores)

                *flame bulbs w/ beating flagella (cilia) drive fluid
                *osmoregulatory not excretory

                *most metabolic wastes diffuse through body wall

                *hypotonic situation of fresh water species requires more flame cells than marine

        REPRODUCTION
            1. Sexual
                -widely various
                -gonads distinct
                -most hermaphroditic (monoecious) but self-fert uncommon
                -usually copulate w/ reciprocal sperm transfer
                -germ cells originate in mesoderm

                -fresh water species: 2 kinds of eggs

                    a. winter- thick, resistant cocoon, dormant, hatch in spring
                    b. summer- thin capsule, hatch quickly

            2. Asexual
                -transverse fission
                -fragmentation (w/ regeneration)
 

Parasitism
       CLASS TREMATODA (flukes)
            -(Trematodes- mouth anterior)
        CLASS CESTODA- tapeworms
            -(Cestodes- no digestive system); absorb pre-digested food through
                tegument, Who needs digestive system?
            -most parasitic species of any phyla

TRENDS IN THE PARASITIC MODE OF EXISTANCE

    1.  Tremendous reproductive capacities, "egg laying machines"

    2.  Tegument- syncytial, outer layer continuous cytoplasm, nucleated but not
            divided into   cells
    3.  pepsin and trypsin resistant (won't be digested)

    4.  Complex life cycles:
        a. one to many hosts (larva ---> adult)
        b. often highly host specific (coevolutionary?)
    5.  specialized entry and feeding structures
    6.  organs of attachment
    7.  locomotor structures lost except in larva
    8.  sensory structures lost
        **not necessarily degenerate! ---> actually highly specialized

        Class Monogenea- single birth; flukes; development direct-  single host all
            parasitic; most ectoparasites on fish

   Class Trematoda- flukes
            -entirely parasitic
            -external tegument (cuticle)
            -ovoid body w/suckers for attachment

            -incomplete digestive system
            -complex life cycle w/ larval stages and intermediate hosts (indirect development)

            -adult general body form like Turbellarians only somewhat larger (ditto for nervous
                and   excretory)

            -syncytial tegument (epidermis, cilia lost)
            -one or more suckers (possible hooks)

            -Digenea- endoparasites in circulatory, respiratory, digestive, urinary,
                reproductive. . . . cause more damage than ectoparasites

            -indirect development (usually 2 hosts)

                Intermediate host- larval stages
                Definitive host (usually vertebrate)- adult

            -anterior mouth

            -enlarged, comples reproductive system

TYPICAL LIFE CYCLE
    1. adult trematode sheds eggs ---> human feces

    2. egg hatches into a miracidium (free swimming, ciliated)

    3. miracidium eaten or bores into snail (intermediate)

    4. when inside host, miracidium becomes sporocyst

    5. sporocyst reproduces to form more spores or rediae (asexual)

    6. rediae reproduce (asexually)
or
    7. rediae produce cercaria

    8. cercaria leave snail and penetrate 2nd host

or

   encyst on vegetation and become metacercaria

    9. when eaten metacercaria develop into adult

    **one miracidium can potentially produce 200,000 cercaria in a single
        snail (some estimates as high as 300,000!)

**LIFE CYCLE OF Clonorchis sinensis   Pg 152

Schistosoma mansoni- blood fluke; 2nd or 3rd most important disease in world;
    Asia, Africa, S. Amer, Mid East; 100-300 million cases per year

**note tremendous reproductive potential
**swimmers itch, bird schistosome

CLASS CESTODA- tapeworms

    -entirely parasitic w/ numerous hosts and complex life cycle (indirect development)

    -adults parasites in guts of vertebrates
    -no digestive tract, no digestive organs (including mouth)

    -thick syncytial tegument similar to trematodes but serves as sole means of obtaining
        nutrition
    -exhibit type of segmentation (proglottids)

    -very long
    -most highly specialized

    -microtriches- increase surface area
    -monoecious, cross fertilize

    -strobila main body

    -proglottids newest behind scolex (head w/ suckers and or hooks)

    -mature proglottid (gravid) are egg sacs

    -life cycles Taeniarhynchus saginatus   Pg 156

    Taenia solium- pork tapeworm

    Diphyllobothrium latum- fish tapeworm

    *as a general rule, adult tapeworms do little harm to hosts
 

Phylum Nemertea pg 156
    -formerly Rhynchocoela (beak) referred to proboscis
    -mostly marine

    -bilateral, ciliated epidermis
    -flame cells in excretory system

    **digestive tract complete (ending in an anus)
        no more regurgitation
    -carnivouous
    -Proboscis

       **true circulatory system (some w/ hemoglobin)

        **most are dioecious

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