Comments on: A Tapeworm Mystery: Which Way Is Up?

By: Veronica

Veronica — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:25:52 +0000

Have you edited the text really? Cause I still get the idea that the “tail” is switching places.
Another question: “In tapeworms, the ovaries are closer to the scolex.” Is this always so? I pretty sure that my worms have their ovaries away from the scolex. I work with stingray parasites, pretty similar to the one in the picture by the way.

By: Neerali

Neerali — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:05:16 +0000

very informative blog…thanks for passing on useful information….

By: themadlolscientist

themadlolscientist — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 20:26:25 +0000

That photo is the stuff of nightmares. Hard to believe they used to sell these critters in capsules as a way to lose weight.

By: PhysioProf

PhysioProf — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 14:36:48 +0000

Interesting! Can either end of the tapeworm regenerate a whole animal, like your typical free-living pond platyhelminth?

By: Ron

Ron — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 14:09:09 +0000

Are the hooks in cyst at the same end of the critter as the scolex? Is the “head” end switching? You state that the Post-2 is active in the end with the hooks (tail) and then becomes active in the region of each segment away from the scolex.

[Note from Carl: I should have made this clearer in the text. I'll edit it now.]

By: Monado

Monado — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 07:34:39 +0000

Wow, that’s neat! It sounds almost as though the end is switching when the critter moves to independent segments–if I read that correctly.