Nematoda

= **THE BASICS OF PHYLUM NEMATODA** = **Nematodes also known as round worms are one of the most diverse animals. So far, 28,000 species have been described and unfortunately 16,000 are parasitic.**

**Nematodes are slender and vary in length and diameter. They have a digestive, excretory, and nervous system.**

**Nematodes are dioecious, which means that there are males and females. Some however, are hermaphroditic and self fertilize their own eggs.** **There are two types of nematodes: free-living and parasitic.** **Free-living nematodes play an important role in decomposition and feed on materials including algae, fecal matter, and dead organisms.** **Parasitic nematodes infect a variety of organisms from animals to plants. Parasitic nematodes cause many fatal human diseases and plays a role in our agriculture.**

**HERE is an example of an infected soybean plant**



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