Characteristics of Nematoda

        Nematoda are the most abundant multicellular animal on earth.

        A handful of soil can contain up to thousands of microscopic worms.

        Many worms are parasitic to insects, plant, and animals.

        There are more then 20,000 species of Nematoda.

        They are a free-living species that commonly feeds on bacteria, fungi, and other Nematoda.

        Adults are made up of 1,000 somatic cells, and hundreds of cells for reproduction.

        They have digestive, nervous, excretory, and reproductive systems.

        They do not have a discrete circulatory or respitory system.

           Nematoda range from .3 mm to 8 meters in size.

        Above is the Ascaris lumbricoides, showing that Nematoda can be very long is size.