Topic: tapeworm

tapeworm name for the parasitic flatworms forming the class Cestoda. All tapeworms spend the adult phase of their lives as parasites in the gut of a vertebrate animal (called the primary host). Most tapeworms spend part of their life cycle in the tissues of one or more other animals (called intermediate hosts), which may be vertebrates or arthropods. Anatomy and Function An adult tapeworm consists of a knoblike head, or scolex, equipped with hooks for attaching to the intestinal wall of the host (which may be a human), a neck region, and a series of flat, rectangular body segments, or proglottids,... Read more