What is the difference between tapeworms and flukes

Tapeworms belong to the class cestode, and they are flat, long worms which reside on the intestines. The key difference between the flukes and the tapeworms is the shape of the organism. The flukes appear as leaf-shaped whereas the tapeworms are elongated in shape. Overview and Key Difference 2. What are Flukes 3. What are Tapeworms 4. Similarities Between Flukes and Tapeworms 5. Flukes are leaf-shaped flatworms.

They are 7- 8 cm in length and have a dorsoventrally flattened body. They are bilaterally symmetrical. Flukes are parasites and possess an oral sucker which helps them to suck the host fluids and a ventral sucker which helps them to cling to the host. Flukes have a complete digestive system with a muscular pharynx and an esophagus.

The excretory system is evolved to form flame cells which are hollow excretory cells with a ciliary action to eliminate waste. Flukes are generally hermaphroditic , which means they have both male and female reproductive organs in a single system, but the blood flukes deviate from this character, and they are bisexual in nature. During its life cycle, the fluke undergoes many larval stages. Since the fluke acts as a human parasite, the eggs of flukes are mostly found in human feces.

When the eggs are released to aqueous environments, they hatch to produce ciliated larvae known as miracidia. The miracidia then develop into cercariae. The cercariae possess a tail which helps them to enter the host, and then once inside the host, it matures into an adult fluke.

Fluke parasites cause many diseases such as schistosomiasis and are involved as vectors which transmit the disease from one host to another. Liver fluke disease occurs through the ingestion of raw fish and results in the inflammation of bile ducts bringing about gastrointestinal disorders and cancers such as cholangiocarcinoma. Tapeworms belong to the class cestode and long, slender and elongated organisms which vary in length from 2 mm to 10 m.

They consist of a segmented body, and the segments are referred as proglottids. The main segments of the tapeworms are termed as the scolex, neck, and strobila.

The scolex is the head, and the strobila gives rise to new proglottids from the neck region. Their reproductive systems are not well developed but contain a prominent uterus, where the eggs are embedded. The tapeworms do not possess an alimentary canal.

As they reside on the small intestines , they are capable of taking nutrient components across the tegument and they are absorbed. The excretory cell type is flame cell consisting of a ciliary network.

The tapeworms are hermaphroditic, and each proglottid contains female and male reproductive organs. The eggs are formed into a larval stage known as the plerocercoid larva, and they develop into a mature tapeworm inside the host system. The tapeworm infection is also a common infection of the gastrointestinal system. Many different tapeworm species are involved in the onset of the infection which includes Taenia saginata, Taenia solium, and Diphyllobothrium latum.

They are mostly present in partially cooked or undercooked meat and fish. The symptoms of the tapeworm infection include nausea, fatigue , weight loss and nutrient deficiencies. Examples of flatworms are shown in Figure below. There are more than 25, species in the flatworm phylum. Flatworms range in length from about 1 millimeter 0. They have a flat body because they do not have a coelom or even a pseudocoelom. They also lack a respiratory system.

Instead, their cells exchange gases by diffusion directly with the environment. They have an incomplete digestive system. Flatworms reflect several major evolutionary advances in invertebrates. They have three embryonic cell layers, including mesoderm. The mesoderm layer allows them to develop organ systems. For example, they have muscular and excretory systems. The muscular system allows them to move from place to place over solid surfaces.

The excretory system lets them maintain a proper balance of water and salts. Flatworms also show cephalization and bilateral symmetry. Flatworms reproduce sexually.

In most species, the same individuals produce both eggs and sperm. There may be several different larval stages. The final larval stage develops into the adult form, and the life cycle repeats. Both flukes and tapeworms are parasites with vertebrate hosts, including human hosts.

Look at the life cycle of the liver fluke in Figure below. As an adult, the fluke has a vertebrate host. As a larva, it has an invertebrate host. If you follow the life cycle, you can see how each host becomes infected so the fluke can continue its life cycle. Life Cycle of the Sheep Liver Fluke. The sheep liver fluke has a complicated life cycle with two hosts.

How could such a complicated way of life evolve? Tapeworms and flukes have suckers and other structures for feeding on a host.