Question

Which typical feature of hookworms is related to the way they obtain food and explore the host?

Answer 1

Adult hookworms within the human intestine release eggs that are eliminated with human feces. Under adequate moisture and temperature conditions, the eggs mature in the soil and generate larvae. The larvae differentiate into thread-like infectious larvae that can penetrate human skin, generally through the feet. The larvae enter human circulation and reach the lungs, from which they spread to the airway and the pharynx. When the larvae are swallowed, they enter the small intestine and develop into adult worms and the cycle restarts.

Both Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus have mouthparts with hooks or “teeth” that help to attach the parasite to the human intestine wall and facilitate the tissue injury necessary to drain blood from the host. The structures are evolutionary adaptations to the parasitic way of life of these animals.