Question

What is the difference between Platyhelminthes and Nematoda?

Answer 1

Platyhelminthes: Phylum Platyhelminthes belongs to kingdom Animalia. The organisms are also known as flatworms. These are acoelomates and they include many free-living and parasitic life forms.

Nematoda: The organisms belonging to the phylum Nematoda are also known as “roundworms”. They are unsegmented vermiform animals. The epidermis has dorsal and ventral nerve cords.

Characteristics	Platyhelminthes	Nematoda
1. Other names	It is also known as Flatworms.	Also known as Roundworms.
2.Body type	Invertebrates with Flat bodies	Invertebrates with Cylindrical bodies
3.Classification	Classified into Turbelleria, Trematoda and Cestoda	Classified into Adenophorea and Secernentea
4.Coelom	These are the acoelomate animals	These are the psuedo-coelomate animals.
5.Body structure	Consist of a flat body.	Consist of cylindrical body tapering at the ends.
6.Outer covering	It consists of cilia as the outer covering.	It consists of a hard cuticle as the outer covering.
7.Digestive system	Incomplete digestive system	Complete digestive system
8.Locomotory system	Exhibits thrashing movements	Exhibit gliding movements
9.Diseases	Causes diseases such as schistosomiasis, liver flukes and lung flukes.	Causes diseases such as ascariasis, hookworm disease etc.