Roundworms have tube digestive systems, meaning ingested food travels a single route. It enters through the mouth, is ground down in the pharynx, is digested in the gut, and is eliminated from the anus. The mouth is on one end of the body and the anus is on the opposite end.
How does roundworm feed?
Diet/Feeding Nematodes feed on organic matter, both dead and alive such as small animals including other worms, or on diatoms, algae, fungi and bacteria. Some eat plants by piercing the stem or root and sucking out the contents.
Do roundworms digest food?
The roundworm digestive system also include a large digestive organ known as the gut. Digestive enzymes that start to break down food are produced here. There is no stomach, but there is an intestine which produces enzymes that help absorb nutrients.
What type of digestive system does a roundworm have?
Unlike flatworms or cnidarians, roundworms have a tube-like digestive system that has two openings. Food enters through a mouth and wastes exit the other end of the digestive system. This is an efficient system of digestion, and most complex animals have this system of digestion.
Do roundworms digest food for their host organism?
Structure and Function of Roundworms This is one way they differ from flatworms. Another way is their complete digestive system. It allows them to take in food, digest food, and eliminate wastes all at the same time. Roundworms have a tough covering of cuticle on the surface of their body.
More useful articles on a similar topic 👇
What nematode worm has an intermediate host?How do roundworms get energy?
