cestod
Cestoda, commonly called tapeworms, are a class of endoparasitic flatworms within the phylum Platyhelminthes. They are elongated, ribbon-like worms composed of a scolex for attachment and a succession of proglottids that form a continuous body called the strobila. The scolex bears attachment organs, such as suckers and, in some species, rostellar hooks. Cestodes lack a true digestive system; nutrients are absorbed directly through the tegument from the host’s intestinal contents.
Most cestodes are intestinal parasites of vertebrates, including humans. They are hermaphroditic, with each proglottid containing
A typical life cycle begins with eggs or gravid proglottids released in the feces of the definitive
Human infections are caused by several species, most notably Taenia saginata (beef tapeworm), Taenia solium (pork