Nematoda
Sign in to saveThe nematodes ( or ; ; ), roundworms or eelworms constitute the phylum Nematoda. Species in the phylum inhabit a broad range of environments. Most species are free-living, feeding on microorganisms, but many are parasitic. Parasitic worms (helminths) are the cause of soil-transmitted helminthiases.
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Nematodes, commonly known as roundworms or eelworms, are a large group of organisms found in many different environments, where most live freely by eating microorganisms, though some are parasites. Parasitic nematodes are responsible for soil-transmitted diseases that affect many people worldwide, making them medically and environmentally significant.
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Research
95,998 papers- On the evolution of early development in the Nematoda.Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2001
- Pristionchus pacificus.WormBook : the online review of C. elegans biology · 2006
- [Muspiceidae (Nematoda-Dorylaimina)].Annales de parasitologie humaine et comparee · 1979
- Molecular characterisation of Iotonchulus longicaudatus (Nematoda: Mononchida) from Mizoram, India.Systematic parasitology · 2025
Article
21 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Taxonomy and systematics
- History
- Phylogeny
- Systematics
- Fossil record
- Anatomy
- Digestive system
- Excretory system
- Nervous system
- Reproduction
- Aging
- Free-living species
- Parasitic species
- Agriculture and horticulture
- Disease in humans
- Soil ecosystems
- Survivability
- See also
- References
- External links
The nematodes ( or ; ; ), roundworms or eelworms constitute the phylum Nematoda. Species in the phylum inhabit a broad range of environments. Most species are free-living, feeding on microorganisms, but many are parasitic. Parasitic worms (helminths) are the cause of soil-transmitted helminthiases.
They are classified along with arthropods, tardigrades and other moulting animals in the clade Ecdysozoa. Unlike the flatworms, nematodes have a tubular digestive system, with openings at both ends. Like tardigrades, they have a reduced number of Hox genes, but their sister phylum Nematomorpha has kept the ancestral protostome Hox genotype, which shows that the reduction has occurred within the nematode phylum.