Phylum Nematoda (Nematodes)
What are the basic characteristics?
Pseudocoelom, Unsegmented (round body), Elastic cuticle and hydrostatic skeleton
What are the basic characteristics?
Coelom, Body segmentation, Exoskeleton with jointed appendages (and hydrostatic skeleton)
How do they acquire energy & nutrients?
Primary consumers (of plants), Secondary consumers (of prokaryotes, protists, animals, fungi)
How do they acquire energy & nutrients?
How do they reproduce and develop?
Sexual: most are dioecious (males have pointed tail tip), some are monoecious
Asexual: some sexual species self-fertilize when food is scarce (eggs hatch inside mother, larvae consume her body)
Life stages: egg, larva adult
How do they reproduce and develop?
Reproduction almost always sexual; almost all species dioecious
Developmental strategy one: incomplete metamorphosis (life stages - egg, nymph, adult)
Developmental strategy two: complete metamorphosis (life stages - egg, larva, pupa, adult)
What ecosystems are inhabited by nematodes and arthropods, and what impact do they have in ecosystem?
- Inhabit aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems
- Increase biological production and biodiversity as consumers of microorganisms (prokaryotes, protist, fungi), and as food for other consumers.
What ecosystems are inhabited by nematodes and arthropods, and what impact do they have in ecosystem?
- Inhabitant all types of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems
- Increase biological production and biodiversity as primary consumers, decomposers, secondary consumers (and as food for other consumers).
In what additional ways are these organisms important to human welfare?
- Parasitic species harm human and domestic animal health, and agricultural crop plants
- Trichinosis (caused by Trichinella) in humans; infection occurs by consuming undercooked mammal meat
- Heartworm in dogs and cats (caused by Dirofilarial); nematode infects animal through mosquito bite
In what additional ways are these organisms important to human welfare?
- A few taxa cause disease in humans and domestic animals
- Ticks transmit Lyme disease (prokaryote) parasite to humans
- Mosquitoes transmit malaria (protist) parasitic to humans, heartworm (nematodes) parasite to cats, dogs