Question

How does a tapeworm breathe
A. Through blood
B. Through mouth
C. Through body wall
D. Through suckers

Answer 1

Hint: Tapeworms are a class of parasitic worms. Their adults have ribbon-like that’s why they are called tapeworms. Cestoda is class under phylum Platyhelminthes in which these parasitic tapeworms are classified. They have very distinct body structures their body is divided into many segments, these segments called as proglottids these proglottids are classified as immature, mature having developed reproductive organs and gravid proglottids which is shed in faeces full of eggs.

Complete answer:
Option -A- Through blood
The tapeworms lack a circulatory system. There are no blood vessels in the flatworms. The gastrovascular which helps distribute nutrients throughout the body.
Option -B- Through mouth
This option is incorrect as tapeworms lack mouth. They don’t have a mouth and they absorb their nutrients from the host alimentary canal in which they reside through special neodermal cuticles or it is called tegument. So to describe them they don’t have a mouth in their scolex or head.
Option -C- Through body wall
They have very specialised nodermal cuticle or tegument I.e. their body wall is covered by this specialised cuticle through which both respiratory and absorption of nutrients occurs. So they breathe through the body wall. They lack specialised respiratory organs such as lungs, the book gills and gills. Oxygen diffuses through the body wall.
Option -D- Through suckers
The tapeworms have distinct suckers in their head or scolex. These suckers are meant for holding of tapeworms to the Gastrointestinal tract of the host body. These suckers are a very important part of their body. Their only function is this and not meant for respiration.

So, the correct answer to this question is option” C” Through body wall.

Note: As stated tapeworms are parasitic they cause many problems in vertebrate hosts. They cause many diseases in humans also including taeniasis. Their life cycle includes a definitive host in which reproduction occurs and intermediate host in which larval stages occur.