Answer the following questions in detail

Question

Mention the unique features of phylum Platyhelminthes.

Vidyadip · Accepted Answer

The members of this phylum are called as flatworms.
Unique features of phylum Platyhelminthes:

Body shape: Body of these animals is dorsoventrally flattened.
Coelom: They are acoelomates.
Germ layers: Platyhelminthes are triploblastic.
Body organization: They show organ-system grade of organization.
Forms: Most of them are endoparasites and few are free-living. Parasitic forms have hooks and suckers for attachment to the hosts’ body. In parasitic forms, body is covered by cuticle and in free-living forms it is covered by cilia.
Digestive system: Parasitic forms generally lack digestive system. In free-living forms, the digestive system is incomplete.
Body plan: They show blind-sac body plan.
Excretion and osmoregulation: It occurs by flame cells or protonephridia.
Reproduction: They are mostly hermaphrodite (bisexual).
Self-fertilization is seen. Few animals show high power of regeneration and show polyembryony.
e.g. Planaria, Taenia (Tapeworm), Fasciola (Liver fluke) are included in this phylum.

Answer