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Platyhelminthes (Flatworms)

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Platyhelminthes (Flatworms) Platyhelminthes (Flatworms) Bio 1413 General Zoology Lab (Ziser, 2008) [Exercise 9] Identifying Characteristics of Phylum: -three true tissue layers (triploblastic) -bilateral symmetry -no body cavity (acoelomate) -some simple organs & organ systems; no skeletal, circulatory or respiratory systems -simple excretory system of tubules with “flame cells” -incomplete or no digestive tract -most hermaphroditic -many highly specialized parasitic forms -most parasitic forms with complex life cycles including one or more intermediate hosts and one or more larval forms Cell Types and Characteristic Structures: epidermis parenchyma tissue gastrodermis “flame cells” circular and longitudinal muscle layers around body wall Body Organization: flattened body some simple organs & organ systems: eg. digestive, nervous, excretory, reproductive trematodes, monogenea and cestodes greatly modified for parasitc lifestyle tapeworms with scolex for attachment; buds proglottids fluke life cycle: egg miracidium sporocyst redia cercaria adult tapeworm life cycle: egg cysticercus (bladder worm) adult Classification: Class: Turbellaria -free living, mostly aquatic; Dugesia, Bipalium Class: Trematoda -parasitic liver and blood flukes; Clonorchis EC Class: Monogenea -mostly external parasites of fish, Protopolystoma Class: Cestoda -tapeworms; Taenia, Lab Activities: 1. Read introduciton and descriptions of flatworms in the lab manual beginning on page 139. 2. Dugesia , A Live Planarian, (p 140) live: Dugesia (=Planaria) live: Bipalium (if available) • General external appearance • know: head, eyes, auricles • Observations Locomotion & Behavior • Feeding 3. Stained whole mounts (p142) slide: Planaria inj wm • know structures as assigned 4. Transverse sections of Planaria (p 142 & Fig 9-2) slide: Planaria cs • know structures as assigned • Be able to recognize which of three regions a section is from (anterior, pharyngeal or posterior) 5. Clonorchis, the liver fluke (p 147) Clonorchis, the Liver Fluke slide: Clonorchis sinensis wm • Know structures as assigned • Know where in the body they are found 6. Schistosoma, the human blood fluke (p 144) slide: Schistosoma mansoni male • be able to distinguish between male and female & female • know where in the body they are found 7. Fasciola, The sheep liver fluke (HO) slide: Fasciola hepatica wm • • • Use dissecting scope only! • • • • Compare general structure with that of Clonorchis • Use figure to identify: Oral and ventral sucker, mouth, yolk glands, testis, ovary, uterus 8. Trematode larvae (p144, 146) slides: cercaria, wm; redia wm redia & Cercaria Larvae redia & cercariae, wm • Be able to recognize these as a larval form of trematodes EC. 9. Class Monogenea (see illustrations p 148) slide: monogenetic trematode, wm Protopolystoma, frog parasite, most closely resembles Polystoma in fig 9-5; Note general appearance and distinguish from other classes of flatworms Know: anterior sucker, mouth, intestine, uterus anal suckers, hooks 10. Class Cestoda:The Tapeworms (p148) slides: Taenia solium, scolex, wm Taenia pisiformis gravid • Know structures as assigned proglottid, wm 11. Cestode larvae Cysticercus larva(bladderworm) slide: Taenia pisiformis cysticercus Use dissecting scope only! • Be able to recognize it as a larval form of tapeworms Demonstrations: • Planarian Organ Systems - note the various organs and organ systems found in these flatworms: digestive system: highly branched to deliver nutrients to tissues in the absence of a circulatory system; also note it is an incomplete digestive tract with a mouth but no anus. excretory system: paired tubules "powered" by ciliated 'flame cells' which drain to the outside of the animal nervous system: paired ventral nerve cords with collateral connecting branches and ganglia (=brain) in head; specialized sense organs with photoreceptors (eye spots) and chemoreceptors (auricles) muscular system: with both circular and longitudinal muscles in body wall reproductive system: well developed • Other examples of the class Turbellaria; all are free living • Trematode life cycle: note the many larval stages, you observed a cercaria in your lab activities, the slide here shows another Trematode larval stage, the redia • Cestode life cycle: most tapeworms have a single larval form the cysticercus or bladder worm shown on the demonstration scope. Notebook Suggestions: Make notes and observations on the living organisms available for study, how do they move, were you able to get any to eat, how long did it take, etc Describe some of the special adaptations seen in the parasitic classes that enhance their ability to find and survive in a host How do the larval forms of the trematodes and the cestodes differ and how do their life cycles differ?.
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