Question

Liver fluke living in the Bile duct feeds on
(a) Bile
(b) Blood and Lymph
(c) Epithelial cells
(d) All the above

Answer 1

Hint: Liver flukes are parasitic flatworms that infect the gastrointestinal tract. Liver fluke gains entry into the digestive system and gains nourishment from several components which can include coverings, connective tissues, salts, and pigments.

Complete answer:
Fascioliasis is the disease caused by Fasciola hepatica also known as liver fluke. It is a digenetic endoparasite found in the bile duct of the life of sheep and goat which serves as primary host and in larval stages in snails. In primary hosts, it causes liver rot.
The larvae are ejected through the excreta of the primary host. It infects humans when the people eat contaminated raw or undercooked freshwater fishes with larvae. It enters the digestive system and gets attached to the intestinal wall, the abdominal cavity, and the bile duct through liver tissue with the help of suckers. With the help of mouth, the fluke feeds on bile, blood, lymph, and epithelial cells and matures into an adult liver fluke.
So, the answer is, ‘All of the above.’

Additional Information:
- The adult parasite settles into small bile ducts and can live there for 20 - 30 years. - 4 - 6 months after they settle in bile ducts, the adult fluke starts producing eggs which are then passed out into the intestine.
Note:
- The long- lived flukes can cause chronic, long- lasting inflammation of bile ducts. - The liver fluke can infect humans and cause liver and bile duct diseases. - It also causes Fasciolosis of sheep, goat, and cattle.