Parasitic Worms, Protozoa, and Arthropods Quiz

Parasites

• Phylum Platyhelminthes deals with parasites of unicellular origin.
• Class Trematoda includes flukes.

Trematodes

• The organ of fixation at the anterior end and surrounds the mouth in trematodes is the oral sucker.
• A body characteristic typical of trematodes, except in Schistosomes, is a ventral sucker.
• Trematodes egest waste material through the excretory system.
• The primary function of the miracidium in the life cycle of trematodes is to penetrate the snail host.

Tapeworms

• The main function of the scolex in tapeworms is to attach to the host's intestinal wall.
• The nervous system of tapeworms is characterized by a lack of brain and ganglia.

Schistosomes

• A characteristic unique to schistosomes compared to other trematodes is the presence of a cylindrical body.

Cestodes

• Cyclophyllidean cestodes are different from Pseudophyllidean cestodes in that they have a scolex with four suckers.

Staphylococcus aureus

• The primary function of staphylococcal pathogenicity islands (SaPIs) in S. aureus is to encode toxins and other virulence factors.
• The factor that primarily influences the pathogenicity and virulence of S. aureus is the production of toxins and enzymes.
• A major role of Staphylococcus aureus in the context of infections is to cause skin and soft tissue infections, as well as pneumonia and endocarditis.
• The virulence of S. aureus is mainly contributed to by the production of toxins, such as alpha-toxin and enterotoxins.
• A characteristic of S. aureus as a bacterium is its ability to form biofilms.
• The aspect that contributes to the wide variety of diseases caused by S. aureus is its ability to produce a range of toxins and enzymes.
• The significant role of the staphylococcal toxins in S. aureus is to cause tissue damage and inflammation.
• The production of toxins and enzymes primarily contributes to the pathogenicity and virulence of S. aureus.