Species of Flatworm within the phylum Platyhelminthes feature:
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Three main germ layers in all worms:
- acoelomates - "without coelem"
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Classes of Platyhelminthes:
Turbellaris - Planarians
- free-living worms in the water |
Cestoda - Tape Worms
- parasitic flatworm - scolex - head |
Trematoda - Flukes
- parasitic flatworms - may produce schistosomiasis - clogging blood vessels in lungs, liver, spleen and/or intestines with its many eggs - reproduces sexually in primary hosts - reproduces asexually in intermediate hosts (snails, feces, etc) |