HETEROPHYIDAE Meaning and
Definition
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Heterophyidae is a family of parasitic flatworms that belongs to the class Trematoda. It is comprised of small to medium-sized intestinal flukes that infect various vertebrates, including humans.
These trematodes have a complex life cycle involving multiple hosts. The adult flukes reside primarily in the small intestines of their definitive hosts, which can range from mammals, birds, and reptiles. They have a flattened, leaf-like body, with a ventral sucker and a muscular oral sucker at the anterior end of their body. The adult flukes reproduce sexually, and their eggs are shed in the feces of the definitive host.
The eggs of Heterophyidae are oval-shaped and operculated, meaning they possess a lid-like structure, which allows them to open and release the miracidia stage when conditions are suitable. These miracidia are ciliated larvae that seek out and infect the first intermediate host, which is commonly a snail. Within the snail, the miracidia transform into sporocysts, which then produce cercariae, the next larval stage.
The cercariae are released from the snail and actively swim in the water, where they can encounter and penetrate the second intermediate host, which can be a fish or crustacean. Once inside the second intermediate host, the cercariae transform into metacercariae, a non-feeding stage that can infect the definitive host when consumed raw or undercooked.
In humans, the infection with Heterophyidae, specifically species like Heterophyes heterophyes or Metagonimus yokagawai, can cause a condition known as heterophyiasis or metagonimiasis. Symptoms of these infections can include gastrointestinal disorders
Common Misspellings for HETEROPHYIDAE
- geterophyidae
- beterophyidae
- neterophyidae
- jeterophyidae
- ueterophyidae
- yeterophyidae
- hwterophyidae
- hsterophyidae
- hdterophyidae
- hrterophyidae
- h4terophyidae
- h3terophyidae
- hererophyidae
- heferophyidae
- hegerophyidae
- heyerophyidae
- he6erophyidae
- he5erophyidae
- hetwrophyidae
- hetsrophyidae
Etymology of HETEROPHYIDAE
The word "Heterophyidae" is derived from the combination of two Greek words: "heteros" meaning "different" or "other", and "phyton" meaning "plant". The suffix "-idae" is a taxonomic term used in biology to denote a family. Therefore, "Heterophyidae" refers to a family of parasitic worms that are morphologically different from other species within the same order or group.
