parasitic worm

(noun)

Parasitic worms are referred to helminths as they live and feed on living hosts. Helminths receive both nourishment and protection by disrupting the hosts ability to absorb nutrients resulting in weakness and disease of the host.

Related Terms

  • helminth
  • bothridia

Examples of parasitic worm in the following topics:

  • Distribution and Importance of Parasitic Worms

    • Parasitic worms, distributed worldwide, are hypothesized to have importance in immune system regulation.
    • Parasitic worms, often the result of horrible illness and disease, appear to have medicinal properties as well.
    • The importance of parasitic worms has come to light in regards to treating various diseases which may benefit from their presence.
    • It is argued that humans have evolved with parasitic worms and there is a mutualistic relationship which mandates the need for parasitic worms to contribute to a healthy immune system.
    • The study showed that parasitic worm infection results in an increase in eosinophils, thus, promoting control of glucose maintenance .
  • Helminths

    • Parasitic worms, often referred to as helminths, are a division of eukaryotic parasites.
    • Parasitic worms, often referred to as helminths, are a division of eukaryotic parasites.
    • Populations in the developing world are at particular risk for infestation with parasitic worms.
    • As humans have evolved with parasitic worms, proponents argue that they are needed for a healthy immune system.
    • List the four groups of parasitic worms (helminths), routes of transmission and risk factors
  • Classification and Identification of Helminths

    • Helminths, or parasitic worms, are eukaryotic parasites characterized by their ability to feed and live on living hosts.
    • Helminths and multicellular eukaryotes, can either be free-living or parasitic.
    • These parasites live in and feed on hosts which allow them to obtain nourishment while disrupting the hosts' nutrient absorption.
    • Parasitic worms are commonly found within the intestine and thus, are called intestinal parasites.
  • Characteristics of Helminths

    • Helminths are parasitic worms that live and feed on living hosts to receive nourishment and protection which results in illness of the host.
    • Parasitic worms that inhabit the intestinal tract (blood, tissue and organs) of humans are referred to as helminths.
    • Helminths share numerous characteristics that contribute to their parasitic quality including the presence of attachment organs.
    • Intestinal helminths are commonly transmitted through fecally contaminated food and water and these parasites include Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura (whipworm), and Enterobius vermicularis (pin worm).
    • The eggs will mature and hatch in the soil and the immature worms (larvae) will penetrate the skin of humans if contact is made.
  • Antiprotozoan and Antihelminthic Drugs

    • Two major classes of parasitic organisms include protozoa and helminths.
    • Helminths are parasitic worms and are divided into three major groups including: flatworms (platyhelminths); thorny-headed worms (acanthocephalins); and roundworms (nematodes and hookworms).
    • This parasite is injected into humans via mosquitoes.
    • Helminths are characterized as various types of parasitic worms, which are effectively targeted by promoting expulsion from the body.
    • Parasitic helminths worms include: tapeworms, flukes, leeches and hookworms.
  • Symbiosis

    • In this relationship the parasite benefits, but the organism being fed upon, the host, is harmed.
    • The parasite, however, is unlikely to kill the host.
    • This diagram shows the life cycle of a pork tapeworm (Taenia solium), a human worm parasite.
    • When they hatch, the worms travel through the wall of the intestine and begin to grow.
    • Here, the parasite will absorb the nutrition from the host and continue to grow.
  • Phylum Nematoda

    • Nematodes are parasitic and free-living worms that are able to shed their external cuticle in order to grow.
    • Furthermore, the nematodes, or roundworms, possess a pseudocoelom and have both free-living and parasitic forms.
    • Phylum Nematoda includes more than 28,000 species with an estimated 16,000 being parasitic in nature.
    • The overall morphology of these worms is cylindrical, while the head is radially symmetrical .
    • All nerve cords fuse at the anterior end, around the pharynx, to form head ganglia, or the "brain" of the worm (taking the form of a ring around the pharynx), as well as at the posterior end to form the tail ganglia.
  • Phylum Platyhelminthes

    • The Catenulida, or "chain worms" is a small clade of just over 100 species.
    • These worms typically reproduce asexually by budding.
    • Many flatworms are parasitic, including important parasites of humans.
    • Parasitic forms feed on the tissues of their hosts.
    • This necessarily limits the thickness of the body in these organisms, constraining them to be "flat" worms.
  • Nematodes

    • Analysis of parasitic nematodes reveals the presence of specific body structures which promote parasitic behaviors such as ridges, rings or bristles that allow for attachment.
    • Ascariasis is a disease that is caused by the parasitic roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides.
    • For a second time, the larvae enter into the intestine and mature into adult worms .
    • The presence of the worms within the intestine may also result in malabsorption or intestinal blockage.
    • Shortly after mating, the male worms die and are passed out via the feces.
  • Swimmer's Itch

    • There are numerous types of flatworm parasites within the family Schistosomatidae that can cause swimmer's itch.
    • The life cycle of these parasites is characterized by their use of both freshwater snails and vertebrates as hosts.
    • During the life stage of these parasites, the larvae of the parasite, cercaria, exit the water snails and can accidentally come into contact with the skin of a swimmer.
    • For completion of the cycle, adult worms will form in the blood vessels and produce eggs which are passed in the feces.
    • Outline the general life cycle of the Schistosomatidae parasite that causes schistosome cercarial dermatitis
Subjects
  • Accounting
  • Algebra
  • Art History
  • Biology
  • Business
  • Calculus
  • Chemistry
  • Communications
  • Economics
  • Finance
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Microbiology
  • Physics
  • Physiology
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Statistics
  • U.S. History
  • World History
  • Writing

Except where noted, content and user contributions on this site are licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 with attribution required.