Question

Read the following characteristics of an organism.
(I) Soft, dorsoventrally flattened, leaf-like body.
(ii) The Head lobe bears mouth surrounded by an oral sucker.
(iii) Absence of digestive system and sense organs.
(iv) Presence of excretory pore at the posterior end of the body.
(v) Considerable osmotic adaptability. Based on the above characteristics, identify the animal and select the correct option.

• A. Taenia solium
• B. Fasciola hepatica
• C. Wuchereria bancroftii
• D. Leucosolenia

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

Fasciola hepatica

The mentioned characteristics are best suited to Fasciola hepatica which belongs to the phylum Platyhelminthes. Platyhelminthes or flatworms are mostly parasitic with a dorso-ventrally flattened body. Fasciola heptica is an endoparasite, found in the liver and bile duct of sheep and goat (primary hosts), so it is also called a liver fluke. Fasciola keeps itself attached to the bile duct by adhesive organs like oral suckers. It is holozoic and feeds on blood, bile, and epithelial cells of bile duct. The digestive organs are, therefore, absent because digested and semi-digested food are directly absorbed through the body surface. It possesses considerable osmotic adaptability, hence it can successfully live in different media.

So, the correct answer is Fasciola hepatica.