Question

The dioecious animal is
(a) Liver fluke
(b) Aurelia
(c) Tapeworm
(d) Earthworm

Answer 1

Hint: The animals in which male and female reproductive organs are present in separate individuals are called dioecious animals. A wide range of organisms in the animal kingdom is dioecious.

Complete answer:
Aurelia is dioecious animals whereas liver fluke, tapeworm, earthworm are monoecious means male and female reproductive organs are present in the same individuals.

Additional information:
Sexual reproduction refers to the fusion of a female gamete with a male gamete to produce a fertilized zygote which will develop into an individual similar to its parental organism. Depending on the gametes produced, various organisms are classified as monoecious and dioecious.
- Monoecious: These organisms involve uniparental reproduction and exhibits self-fertilization
- Dioecious: These organisms involve biparental reproduction. The eggs are produced by female parents and the sperms are produced by male parents. They commonly exhibit cross-fertilization.
In some complex organisms that are highly evolved, a unique and rare phenomenon is observed which is neither monoecious or dioecious. This mode is termed as pseudohermaphroditism. It refers to a condition in which the individual is born with the primary sexual characteristics of one sex, but later develops the secondary sexual characteristics of a different gender.

So, the correct answer is ‘Aurelia’.

Note:
- Monoecious: single
- Dioecious: two
- Monoecious animals are also called Hermaphrodites.
- Studies are indicative of about 15% of animals, especially those that are sessile (nonmotile) or parasitic, are preferentially hermaphrodites.