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Tapeworm Physical Characteristics
A tapeworm is a small parasite that lives in the intestines of a dog, cat or any living being. It hooks itself to the intestinal wall and grows in tiny segments. Each segment is like a small body complete with its own digestive system and should the worm shed a segment, it simply passes out of the animals rectum and leaves a sac of eggs. The eggs hatch, taking on an intermediary host before moving on to bigger animals. A tapeworm is usually about six inches long, though we only usually see segments of them.
Tapeworms and Your Pet
Tapeworms enter your animal by using an intermediary host. Some tapeworms use flea larvae, which your pet eats when they lick themselves. the tapeworm settles in the intestines and grows inside them. Other types use rabbits, mice and rats as intermediary hosts, if your animal eats any part of the host animal they can get infected. Tapeworms don't cause too much physical damage and unlike other parasites they don't lay eggs inside an animal. Because of this, they can go unnoticed when your vet checks the anus for parasite eggs.
Sponges
Sponges are some of simplest life forms on the planet. There are over 5,000 species of sponge, which are an aquatic life form, meaning they live in the water. Most sponges are marine animals, but there are 150 species that live in fresh water. Many sponges emit toxic chemicals to avoid predators and some animals use this talent by placing sponges on their bodies and allowing them to grow there. They live in symbiotic relationships with many forms of aquatic life including plants, bacteria and algae.
Physical Characteristics of Sponges
There are three main types of sponge bodies. Asconoid sponges are shaped like a tube with pores. There is a single opening to the outside called the osculum through which water carrying nutrients enters and exits the sponge. Syconoid sponges are similar in shape but larger. The tube is thicker and the pores are longer, forming a canal system. The third type is called leuconoid, these are the most complex sponges. They are made of layers of tissue and overlapping canal systems and tiny chambers through which water passes before exiting through the osculum.
Sponge Reproduction
Sponges reproduce asexually or sexually. The male releases gemmules or spermatozoa into the water which are then absorbed through the pores of a neighboring sponge and fertilization happens. With most sponge species, the fertilized egg develops into a blastula and then is released into the water. This happens immediately after fertilization. With other species, the egg develops into a more complicated phase within the parent sponge before being released.