Cestoda

For the musical collaboration named Tapeworm, see Tapeworm (band).

Tapeworm is also an older name for a type of computer virus.

Cestoda
File:Tenia solium scolex.jpg
Scolex of Taenia solium
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Subkingdom:	Eumetazoa
Superphylum:	Platyzoa
(unranked):	Bilateria
Phylum:	Platyhelminthes
Class:	Cestoda
Orders
Subclass Cestodaria: Amphilinidea Gyrocotylidea Subclass Eucestoda: Aporidea Caryophyllidea Cyclophyllidea Diphyllidea Lecanicephalidea Litobothridea Nippotaeniidea Proteocephalidea Pseudophyllidea Spathebothriidea Tetraphyllidea Trypanorhyncha

Cestoda is a class of parasitic flatworms, commonly called tapeworms, that live in the digestive tract of vertebrates as adults and often in the bodies of various animals as juveniles. Taenia saginata, the beef tapeworm, can grow up to 40 feet long (12 m); other species may grow to over 100 feet (30 m).

Overview

Craig and Ito describe the gut-dwelling worm as segmented and band-like in its adult stage. Its first stage in tissues and organs of vertebrates, including humans, is the growth of a cyst-like juvenile (or metacestode). The potential cause of illness and disease is due to a metacestode stage happening in human tissues, rather than an adult tapeworm.

The tegument is the body surface of the adult tapeworm. Tapeworms take the host's nutrients and do not attack the mucosa of the small intestine or remove blood. Infections, therefore, are benign. Most often hosts do not show any signs of illness. A carrier can notice the segments (proglottids) when using the bathroom, for instance, in the feces in a toilet bowl. Because tapeworms move around constantly, one may find them in undergarments. In previous times in history, people wishing to lose weight have purposely ingested tapeworms to aid in weight loss dieting.

Anatomy

Basically it looks like a roll of scotch tape stuck to your ass when it dangles after your dumb ass decided to eat uncooked food.

Scolex

The worm's scolex ("head") attaches to the intestine of the definitive host. In some species, the scolex is dominated by bothria, which are sometimes called "sucking grooves", and function like suction cups. Other species have hooks and suckers that aid in attachment. Cyclophyllid cestodes can be identified by the presence of four suckers on their scolex, though they may have other structures.

While the scolex is often the most distinctive part of an adult tapeworm, it is often unnoticed in a clinical setting as it is inside the patient. Thus, identifying eggs and proglottids in feces is important.

Muscular system

The main nerve center of a cestode is in its scolex. Motor and sensory innervation depends on the number and complexity of the scolex. Smaller nerves emanate from the commissures to supply the general body muscular and sensory ending. The cirrus and vagina are innervated and sensory endings around the genital pore are more plentiful than other areas. Sensory function includes both tactoreception and chemoreception.

Proglottids

The body is composed of successive segments (proglottids). The sum of the proglottids is called a strobila, which is thin, resembling a strip of tape, and is the source of the common name "tapeworm". Like some other flatworms, cestodes use flame cells (protonephridia) for excretion, which are located in the proglottids.

Mature or gravid proglottids are released from the tapeworm and leave the host in its feces.

Because each proglottid contains the male and female reproductive structures, they can reproduce independently. It has been suggested by some biologists that each should be considered a single organism, and that the tapeworm is actually a colony of proglottids.

The layout of proglottids comes in two forms, craspedote, meaning proglottids are overlapped by the previous proglottid, and acraspedote which indicates a non-overlapping conjoined proglottid.

See also

• Diphyllobothrium (Fish tapeworm)
• Cysticercosis
• List of parasites (human)
• Tapeworm infection

Taxonomy

There are fourteen recognised orders of Cestodes: the Amphilinidea, Gyrocotylidea and 12 orders belonging to the Eucestoda. Within the Eucestoda the Spathebothriidea appear to be a sister group to the remaining 11 orders. The Pseudophyllidea and Haplobothriidea appear to form a clade as do Cyclophyllidea, Nippotaeniidea and Tetrabothriidea.

References

• Campbell, Reece, and Mitchell, Biology, 1999
• Merck Manual of Medication Information, Second Home Edition, Online Version, Tapeworm Infection 2005
• Mayo Clinic Website on infectious diseases, Mayo Clinic - Tapeworm Infection, 2006
• Medline Plus - Taeniasis (tapeworm infection)
• University of South Carolina - School of Medicine - CESTODES (TAPE WORMS)

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

External links

• How Disgusting are Tapeworms? Article from TalktotheVet.com