Nematoda

Nematodes (roundworms) are generally worm-like organisms that have bilateral symmetry and are covered by a strong, and yet flexible noncellular layer called a cuticle. They have a simplistic body structure. The cuticle of a Nematode is produced by a layer of epidermal cells. Muscle cells are located under the epidermal cells and they run in the longitudinal direction only. The nervous system consists of a ring of nervous tissue around the pharynx that gives rise to dorsal and ventral nerve cords which run the length of the body.

Nematodes move by contracting their longitudinal muscles. Because their is high amounts of internal pressure within the nematode, this causes the body to flex rather than flatten. This allows the Nematode to thrash back and forth to produce locomotion.

Nematodes are considered to be massively abundant throughout the Earth. Their can be as many as 90,000 individual Nematodes in a single rotting apple. Their is currently only around 12,000 species know to mankind but it is estimated at about 500,000.

Many nematodes are free living and play a serious ecological role as decomposers and predators of microorganisms. Certain nematodes are also parisitic, which can affect humans directly or indirectly through their domestic animals. These include the common roundworms, which most likely infects more then half the human population of the entire planet, hookworms, pinworms are a common parasite to even the U.S and can infect victims by eggs floating in household dust and finally filarial worms, which are known for their tropical diseases.
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