CestodaCestoda is the name given to a class of parasitic flatworms in the phylum Platyhelminthes. The best-known Cestodes are commonly called tapeworms. Cestodes are all parasitic and their life histories descendants vary, but most times live in the bodies of other species of animals at a younger age then move to the digestive tracts of vertebrates as adults. There are over a thousand known Cestoda species, and all vertebrates are able to be a victim to at least one of these species.
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Skeletal Structure |
The worm's scolex, or head, attaches to the intestine of the Cestoda's host. In some species, the scolex is covered in bothria , or "sucking grooves" that function like suction cups. Other species have hooks and suckers that aid in attaching. While the scolex is often the most obvious part of an adult tapeworm, it is often unnoticed since it is inside the host. Therefore, identifying eggs and proglottids in waste is the easiest way to diagnose an infection.
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