Lecture 10: Helminthes

• What are helminths

  Helminths are multicellular parasitic worms from the Animalia (eukaryotic) kingdom that infect humans and depend on a host to complete their life cycle.
• What are the two major types of helminths.

  • Platyhelminthes (Flatworms): Includes trematodes (flukes) and cestodes (tapeworms).
  • Nematoda (Roundworms): Includes intestinal and tissue nematodes
• How do helminths spread?

  Contaminated food, water, soil, and direct contact with infected hosts.
• What is the key method of preventing helminth infections?

  Improved sanitation and hygiene (handwashing, proper cooking, avoiding contaminated soil).
• What are invertebrates worms

  • Invertebrates are animals without a spinal column (backbone).
  • They make up over 95% of all animal species and are classified into over 30 different phyla
• What is hox genes

  • Hox genes control body segmentation and development in all animals.
  • The evolutionary duplication of Hox clusters in vertebrates allowed for more complex body structures.
  • They have only one cluster of Hox genes