Flat Worms

Flat worms have a few different habitats. A few examples are tropical forest floors, ponds, streams, and sea. In general, flat worms live in damp areas and anywhere with water. When it comes to food, flat worms go through many stages. When they are young they are herbivores. This means they eat algae and many other plants. As they grow they become carnivores. This means that they eat meat.

Even though flatworms can be harmful they also do many things for us. They keep the population of invasive snails down by eating them. This is very important because it makes sure that one species does not become to powerful. That idea is known as the food chain which means bigger animals eat littler animals.

Flat worms are very unique. First of all, they do not have a heart, which are very different form human beings. Also, there brains are interesting. They actually have two brains. Both of them are a lump of nerves and both are very simple. Once again, there brain is different from the human brain. Finally, flatworms can have male and female organs.

Humans support there structure by there skeleton. Flatworms are different because they support there's by muscles. Between the muscles and the body is a soft tissue. This allows the muscles to attach to the outside of the body. This is what gives worms there soft squishy feeling. For such a small animal this worm has a very advanced body structure.

Flatworms get there oxygen just like all worms do. They take there air in through their warm moist skin. They take most of there air out of the water where they spend most of there time. This process is called diffusion which gives the oxygen to the tissue and the organs. Even though, they use diffusion to take in oxygen, they also use it to get rid of carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide goes through the blood wall and out of the body.

When it comes to reproduction flatworms are very interesting. This type of worm has both male and female reproductive organs. This means that the worm can possibly fertilize themselves. Even though this is rare it is possible. Most times they cross fertilize each other. This means that the male can fertilize another female and get fertilized himself at the same time.

The worm's nervous system is very interesting. They have things that run down there sides called cerebral ganglion or also known as nerve chords. Also, they have receptors on there head and body that work with there nervous system. The brain is also important to the nervous system. They have two small brains that are made up of little nerves. Also, they have eye spots on there head that sense light.

Trematoda- Parasites that live in blood (blood is that red stuff that comes out of you when you get cut) and tissue(all the squishy stuff you feel on you). An example of this is a fluke.

Cestoda- Parasites that live in intestines (organs that break down food). An example of this is a tapeworm.

Tubelaria- Carnivores (things that eat meat) and scavengers (things that eat dead things). An example of this is a Planarian.

Schistosomiosis is the 2^nd most deadly human disease. This disease goes into the central nervous system of your body. Another name for this is the snail fever. Don't worry though, this disease isn't in the U.S. This parasite has taken many human lives. This condition can lead to serious liver damage.

Flatworms are bilaterally symmetric. This means that these worms have a left and a right side. This is different from radial symmetry. This means that the worm's body is arranged around an imaginary line through the middle of the body.

Flukes- live in the intestines of a living organism
Tapeworms- live in intestines, can de over 40 feet long
Turbellaria- lives in water or wet land and reproduces sexually
Trematodes- can infect fish, turtles, mollusks, and vertebrates
Planarian- non-parasitic flatworms and live in water and wet lands

The food that flatworms eat is taken to their gut, gastro vascular system. It is processed until its very small. The waste is pushed out to the mouth and sent to the outside world. The gut has a complex shape to be able to absorb more nutrients for the body.

Flatworms do not have an anus so they get rid of their waste through the same hole they eat. The food they eat gets sent to a sac that is their gut, the gastro vascular cavity. The food gets digested and the waste is sent back to the mouth to be released.

Flatworms do not have a circulatory system because they have no anus. This is because they remove waste trough the same hole they eat. It is also because of the lack of a circulatory system. That makes them be flat to let oxygen and food go through their bodies.

Flatworms