Taenia saginata is the beef tapeworm which spends the adult part of its life cycle in the intestine of humans - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 10 - 2002 - Paper 1
Question 10
Taenia saginata is the beef tapeworm which spends the adult part of its life cycle in the intestine of humans. It is reasonable to suggest that features important to... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Taenia saginata is the beef tapeworm which spends the adult part of its life cycle in the intestine of humans - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 10 - 2002 - Paper 1
Step 1
A. a digestive system with specialised regions for digesting different foods.
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Answer
While a specialized digestive system can be beneficial, Taenia saginata does not possess any digestive system as it absorbs nutrients directly from its host. Therefore, this option is not applicable.
Step 2
B. production of both male and female gametes by each individual.
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Although many tapeworms are hermaphrodites, this trait is not essential for their parasitic lifestyle since it relates more to reproductive strategy rather than survival in the host.
Step 3
C. a body shape with a high volume to surface area ratio.
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This feature is crucial for Taenia saginata as it allows for maximum absorption of nutrients from the host's intestine, making it the best adaptation for its parasitic lifestyle.
Step 4
D. well-developed sensory organs.
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Tapeworms typically do not require well-developed sensory organs as they live in a nutrient-rich environment (the host's intestine) and do not need to hunt or navigate.
