Chapter 6

PHYLUM NEMATODA

Phylum Nematoda

• Round or Thread worms • size 1-2 mm mostly but some may reach 60 cm or more • Pseudocoelomates • non-sigmented • Free living and parasitic species • Pointed at both ends • Covered by a thick multilayered cuticle (non-cellular covering) • Epidermis is syncytial (secretes cuticle)

2 life cycle

• Cuticle is shed 4 times during develop ment

3 Musculature

• Lack circular muscles • muscular layer (longitudinal muscles) that arrange in 4 groups separated by the dorsal, ventral and lateral hypodermal chords, each muscle cell connected to either the dorsal or ventral nerve chord by muscle cell process;

Movement and hydrostatic skeleton

• Movement is by thrashing the body into sinusoidal waves generated by alternating contraction of longitudinal muscles on each side of the body. • The round shape of is due to the hydrostatic pressure generated by celoemic fluid and its opposing rigid cuticle. Nervous system

• Nervous system made of brain (nerve ring and associated ganglia and at least 4 longitudinal nerves that run in the dorsal, ventral and lateral nerve chords in the hypodermis • Sense organs include a pair of head chemoreceptive amphids (characteristic feature of all nematodes), other sense organs found in certain groups include: posteriorly located chemoreceptive phasmids, ocelli, cephalic and caudal papillae as well as mechanoceptors

Nematode Features II • Eutely: Cell number in adult tissue remain constant throughout life so that the limited increase in size is a function of increase in cell size NOT number). • Tubes within tubes worms, all organ systems tubular;

7 Nematode Features

• Digestive system complete with mouth, muscular pharynx (esophagous), intestine and rectum; • Excretory system made of renette glandular cells in most spp; • No specialized gas exchange or circulatory system.

8 Nematode Reproduction & Life Cycle • Worms are mostly dioecious; • Male reproductive system tubular and made of testis, vas deferens, ejaculatory duct that opens in cloaca, many spp. have bursa and 1-2 copulatory spicules; • Female reproductive system tubular and made of one or two ovaries, each leads into oviduct--seminal receptacle—uterus, a vulva leads to female gonopore. • Fertilization internal following copulation or hypodermic impregnation; • Females are oviparous, ovo-viviparous or viviparous; • L.C. involves ecdysis of larval stages controlled by molting hormones with 4 larval stages before worms become adults; some larval stages can molt within the egg shell; Parasitic stages mostly use the third larval stage (L-3) as infective stage to the final host..

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Classification of parasitic Nematodes

• Class (3 sub-classes) Sub-class: • Orders: 1. – • 2. - Ancylostoma (hookworm), Enterobius (pin worm)

– Sub-class: – • Orders: 1. - - filarial worms. (elephantiasis), (river blindness), Dirofilaria immitis (dog heartworm). • 2. - intestinal parasites of vertebrates. Ascaris. Ascaris, (dog ascarid)

Debilitating effect of parasitic Nematodes • Blood suction. E.g Hook worms – Suck about 0.6 ml blood/day – 100 worms= 60 ml/day= 180 ml/month • Blocking of intestine and bile ducts. E.g ascaris – In cases of heavy infection. • Blocking of blood or lymphatic system. E.g Filaria – Elephantiasis as in Onchocerca volnulus Trichuris trichura L.C.

13 Hookworm L.C.

14 A. Lumbricoides L. C.

15 E. vermicularis L.C.

16 O. volvulus L.C.

17 Wuchereria bancrofti L.C.

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