Dear reader, the video is a little lower. Parasitic worms, also known as helminths, are a polyphyletic group of large macroparasites; adults can generally be seen with the naked eye. Many are intestinal worms that are soil-transmitted and infect the gastrointestinal tract. Other parasitic worms such as schistosomes reside in blσod vessels.Some parasitic worms, including leeches and monogeneans, are ectoparasites – thus, they are not classified as helminths, which are endoparasites.Parasitic worms live in and feed in living hosts. They receive nourishment and protection while disrupting their hosts’ ability to absorb nutrients. This can cause weakness and disease in the host, and poses a global health and economic problem.
Parasitic worms cannot reprσduce entirely within their host’s body; they have a life cycle that includes some stages that need to take place outside of the host. Helminths are able to survive in their mammalian hosts for many years due to their ability to manipulate the host’s immune response by secreting immunomodulatory products. All parasitic worms produce eggs during reprσduction. These eggs have a strong shell that protects them against a range of environmental conditions.