ACTIVITY 7

PHYLUM PLATYHELMINTHES
I. INTRODUCTION
Platyhelminthes (flatworms) are acoelomate, non-segmented, dorsoventrally flattened worms.
There are more than 15,000 species of flatworms which range in size from microscopic to an incredible
30 m. Most species are entirely endo-or ectoparasitic. Flatworms are triploblastic and internal organs are
embedded within a compact mass of parenchyma which functions in secretion, storage, and regeneration.
The fluid in the body cavity may act as a hydrostatic skeleton, a site for collection of wastes or gametes,
and/or as a primitive circulatory system. Turbellarians and flukes have incomplete (i.e., no anus)
digestive system while tapeworms completely lack one. They can reproduce asexually by transverse
binary fission or regeneration and sexually are hermaphroditic. Members possess flame cells for
osmoregulation while respiration is carried out directly by diffusion. Members already exhibit
cephalization, clustering of sensory structures at the anterior end of individuals.
II. OBJECTIVES:
1. To be able to familiarize oneself to representative species of Phylum Platyhelminthes.
2. To be able to identify important features of representative species.
3. To be able to classify organisms from Kingdom down to species.
III. MATERIALS
Microscope
Prepared slides:
Dugesia/Planaria w.m.
Fasciola hepatica w.m.
Schistosoma japonicum male
Schistosoma japonicum female
Clonorchis sinensis
Taenia solium scolex
Taenia saginata immature segment
Taenia saginata mature segment
Taenia saginata gravid segment

IV. PROCEDURE
Four Classes:
A. Class Turbellaria. Relatively small flatworms with ciliated epidermis richly supplied with glands. All
possess a blind gut with oral opening usually located midventrally. Most are free-living, but some are
commensal or parasitic. (e.g. Dugesia- the common pond planarian).
Observational Procedure: Dugesia
1. Obtain a prepared slide of a whole, stained specimen of the freshwater planarian Dugesia. Locate
the anterior and posterior ends. The earlike structures at the anterior end are chemosensory lobes
called auricles. Near the middle of the worm is a muscular pharynx. This protrusible organ is
capable of being projected through the mouth. Trace the outline of the intestine. Locate the
anterior and posterior branches of the intestines. How many main branches of the gut are
present? Note that each main branch is branched into numerous diverticula.
2. Locate the pair of eyespots at the anterior end. These are special photoreceptive sensory organs.

B. Class Trematoda. Trematodes or flukes are moderate-sized, leaf- to wormlike parasitic flatworms,
characterized by having one or more prominent, ventral attachment structures. They are endo- or
ectoparasites of both invertebrate and vertebrate hosts. [e.g. Aspidogaster conchicola (freshwater
clam fluke), Clonorchis (=Opisthorchis) sinensis and Fasciola hepatica (human and sheep liver flukes,
respectively), and Schistosoma spp. (human blood flukes)].
Observational Procedure:
Adults
Fasciola hepatica (Sheep Liver Fluke). F. hepatica is a large, leaf-shaped fluke often found in the
livers of deer, goats, cattle, and sheep.
1. Observe a slide of a stained specimen and identify the anterior and posterior ends. The body
tapers abruptly at the anterior end, giving the effect of a pointed head with shoulders. This region
is called the oral cone.
2. Locate the oral sucker which surrounds the mouth.The mouth leads to the pharynx which
connects to a short esophagus and then to a biramus intestine (intestinal ceca). Trace the arms
of the intestine that run the length of the fluke. Does the intestine branch into small diverticula as
in Dugesia?
3. Just posterior to the pharynx locate the large ventral sucker called the acetabulum. Locate the
highly branched testes that lie in the central region. Locate the tubular uterus below the
acetabulum. It may contain many eggs. Although called eggs, these are really developing embryos
still encased in the egg shell. The uterus receives yolk from the large lateral vitellaria (yolk
glands).
4. On the right side of the fluke find the ovary. It is branched but darker than the testes and lies
anterior to them.
5. At the posterior end of the animal, locate the excretory duct that opens into an excretory pore. Is
this structure an anus? Why?
Clonorchis sinensis (Chinese Liver Fluke)
A smaller fluke that F. hepatica. The oral sucker is slightly larger that the acetabulum. Two large,
branched testes lie near the posterior end, and just anterior to them, lies a small three-lobed ovary.
From the ovary the uterus courses anteriorly to the genital pore which lies in front of the acetabulum.
To either side of the uterus are the moderately sized vitellaria. Note also the parts of the gut: mouth,
pharynx, esophagus and intestines.

Schistosoma sp. Another important group of flukes are the schistosomes (blood flukes) including
those which afflict humans: S. mansoni, S. japonicum, and S. haematobium. The first two are found in
veins of the intestine and the latter in veins of the urinary bladder.
1. Observe prepared slides of Schistosoma japonicum (male and female). Identify the anterior and
posterior ends. How does the shape of the Schistosoma differ from the other flukes studied so far?
There is a dsitinct size difference between the males and the females; which is larger?
2. Find the oral and ventral suckers. Which bears the mouth? Are there differences in the sizes of
the suckers?
3. In the male specimen, find the genital pore just beneath the ventral sucker. Find the testes and
intestinal ceca.

4. In the female specimen, find the uterus below the ventral sucker. Find the ovary. The yolk gland
is found at the posterior end of the animal.
5. Locate the gynecophoral canal (groove) on the males ventral surface. Does the female have this
groove? What is the significance of this structure?
C. Class Monogenea. Monogeneans are all parasitic on freshwater and marine ectothermal vertebrates,
especially fish. They are similar in size and shape to flukes, except for the characteristic posterior
attachment organ, the opisthaptor. Anteriorly the prohaptor, an organ of feeding and attachment,
resembles the oral sucker of flukes; example Gyrodactylus.
D. Class Cestoda. Cestoda is a moderate-sized class which include endoparasitic flatworms commonly
known as tapeworms. These animals completely lack a mouth and digestive tract. The body is usually
comprised in 3 regions: scolex (head), neck, and strobila (body). The strobila is made up of many
identical units called proglottids, except in the subclass Cestodaria whose members have a short
undivided body.
Observational Procedure: Taenia saginata
1. Study a prepared slide of immature proglottids of T. saginata. Look for the genital pore.
2. Examine a gravid segment and look for the following: longitudinal collecting tubule, uterus
with eggs, and genital pore.

Planaria

Clonorchis

Schistosoma japonicum

tapeworm: generalized body plan

immature proglottid

mature proglottid

gravid proglottid

Name: __________________________________________________________________
Date:__________________
Prof:___________________________________________________
Program Code/Group No. :__________________

ACTIVITY 7
Phylum Platyhlminthes
(Flatworms)
I. Draw and label the different specimens observed.
Class Turbellaria

Class Trematoda

Planaria sp. (_____X)

Fasciola hepatica (_____X)

Class Turbellaria

Class Trematoda

male
Clonorchis sinensis (_____X)

female

Schistosoma japonicum (_____X)

Class Cestoda

Class Cestoda

Taenia solium: scolex (_____X)

Taenia saginata: immature proglottid (_____X)

Class Cestoda

Class Cestoda

male
Taenia saginata: mature proglottid (_____X)

female

Taenia saginata: gravid proglottid (_____X)

II. Guide questions:

1. What biological advances appear in worms?
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2. List down some characteristics of flukes?
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3. What is the function of the gynecophoral groove?
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4. Give some functions of the scolex.

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5. Do tapeworms exhibit true segmentation? Why?
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6. How would you assess the ages of proglottids as they grow further from the scolex?
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Conclusions:
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References:
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