Difference Between Flatworms and Roundworms

A flatworm has a thin, dorsoventrally flattened body. Roundworms are more cylindrical in shape and tapered to a fine point at one end. ... Flatworms generally live in bodies of water, while roundworm species can live either on water or in soil.

1. What is the main difference between platyhelminthes and nematoda?
2. What do flatworms and roundworms have in common?
3. What organ systems do flatworms lack?
4. Is Nemathelminthes the same as Aschelminthes?
5. Where can roundworms be found?
6. Why are flatworms so flat?
7. What diseases do flatworms cause?

What is the main difference between platyhelminthes and nematoda?

Platyhelminthes and Nematoda are two invertebrate animal phyla. Platyhelminthes consists of flatworms whereas Nematoda consists of roundworms. The main difference between Platyhelminthes and Nematoda is the anatomical structure of the body of each invertebrate.

What do flatworms and roundworms have in common?

Most flatworms are parasites that obtain their food from a host animal. ... Some are carnivores, some are herbivores, and some are parasites. Unlike flatworms or cnidarians, roundworms have a tube-like digestive system that has two openings. Food enters through a mouth and wastes exit the other end of the digestive system.

What organ systems do flatworms lack?

They are bilaterally symmetrical (i.e., the right and left sides are similar) and lack specialized respiratory, skeletal, and circulatory systems; no body cavity (coelom) is present. The body is not segmented; spongy connective tissue (mesenchyme) constitutes the so-called parenchyma and fills the space between organs.

Is Nemathelminthes the same as Aschelminthes?

The Aschelminthes (also known as Aeschelminthes, Nemathelminthes, Nematodes), closely associated with the Platyhelminthes, are an obsolete phylum of pseudocoelomate and other similar animals that are no longer considered closely related and have been promoted to phyla in their own right.

Where can roundworms be found?

Roundworms can live in or on humans, and can cause many problems. They are usually found in soil and stool and can enter the body through the mouth or direct contact with the skin. They can live in the human intestine for a very long time.

Why are flatworms so flat?

The lack of a cavity also constrains flatworms to be flat; they must respire by diffusion, and no cell can be too far from the outside, making a flattened shape necessary. ... Flukes, like other parasitic flatworms, have complex life cycles often involving two or more host organisms.

What diseases do flatworms cause?

Paragonimiasis is caused by infection with a flatworm. That's a parasitic worm also called a fluke or lung fluke because it commonly infects the lungs. Usually, infection comes after eating undercooked crab or crayfish that carry immature flukes. Once swallowed by a person, the worms mature and grow inside the body.