(a) What is parasitism?(b) Describe how the tapeworm is adapted to a parasitic mode of life.
Answer Text: a)- Parasitism is an association where an organism lives in or on another living organism, obtaining food from it and causing harm without necessarily killing it.b)- Has hooks/ suckers for attachment to wall of intestines.- Long to increase surface area for absorption of food.- Secretes enzyme/ neutralize digestive enzymes (mucus inhibitor substance/ anti-enzymes)- Hermaphroditic: to ensure reproductive/ self-fertilization.- Production of many eggs to ensure survival.- Segment for egg dispersal- More than one host for tansmission e.g T solium- pig (intermediate host), T saginata.- Long to fit in the intestine/ increase surface area for (flatten) absorption of food- Anaerobes survive in the gut with low oxygen concentration.
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