Fun Facts:

•  Nematodes are the most abundant animal on the planet, there are  estimated 57 million nematodes for every one human being.  

• Nematodes can lay over 20,000 eggs in a singe day.

• Nematodes are found in ocean sediment, rivers, on land and inhabit almost every ecosystems from the polar regions to the tropics.

• Nematodes lack circular muscles so they cannot crawl, but instead use longitudinal muscles to thrash back and forth. 

• Many nematodes are parasites! 

Key Characteristics:

• Digestive System: complete digestive system with mouth, intestine and anus. 

• Exoskeleton: have a cuticle which is a noncellular flexible outer layer that acts as an exoskeleton. The cuticle molted or shed periodically. 

• Cells: have a fixed, constant number of cells when they become an adult. Grow by enlarging cells, not dividing cells into more cells. This condition is called "eutely". 

• Respiration: lack respiratory organs, breath by diffusion through skin.

• Reproduction: most nematodes reproduces sexually.

• Symmetry: bilateral 

Nematodes Explained!

Nematode Parasitic Life Cycle