Question

Liver fluke is
A. Monogenetic
B. Digenetic
C. Digenetic and pathogenic
D. Digenetic and non-pathogenic

Answer 1

Hint: Liver fluke is a parasitic trematode which belongs to the phylum of Platyhelminthes. They are also called Fasciola hepatica and sheep liver fluke.

Complete Answer:
- Pathogenic animals are those which are able to cause diseases in other organisms and cause harm to them while non-pathogenic organisms are not harmful and do not cause any disease to any individual organisms.
- Additionally, if an organism can complete its life cycle inside a single host it is termed as monogenetic while if an organism utilises two host organisms for completing its life cycle it is termed as digenetic organisms.
- Liver flukes spend their life cycle utilising two hosts. They live as an internal parasite in the vertebrates during their sexual reproduction phase while have asexual reproduction phase when they are prsesnt in mollusc. Hence they are digenetic organisms.
- Furthermore, liver flukes are pathogenic as they are capable of moving in the blood circulation, bile ducts, gallbladder and liver of humans causing pathogenic lesions in them. These lesions can result in pathogenic diseases. They also cause other diseases in other organisms including Fasciolosis of sheep and goats. Therefore they are digenetic and pathogenic.

Thus, the correct option is C) Digenetic and pathogenic.

Note: Liver flukes have simple digestive systems and they mainly feed on the blood of other organisms. Their anterior end have suckers for this role.