Why are intestinal parasites not digested in our bodies?

The types of food from hard to soft to our stomachs are thoroughly digested. So why are tapeworms and parasites alive?

It is a nightmare to know that our bodies are home to helminths. They still grow up in our stomachs and intestines without being digested like food. Why is that?

Why are they not digested in our stomachs?

Helminths, namely roundworms, hookworms, trematodes and tapeworms . in the process of evolution have formed 'a second skin layer' - placing them in the group of animals that possess new tissue .

This skin is not the same as the dead skin layer in human skin but is a living tissue and is 10 times thicker, able to resist both acid and alkaline.

Earthworms possess similar skin layers.

To make it easier to understand, this skin layer (Tegument) has a cuticle layer - often found on earthworms or individuals of non-parasitic flukes, living in water or wet environments.

This cilia has a self-defense mechanism against digestion, simply because it has no "cracks" between the cells so that white blood cells or molecules of digestive enzymes in the host body can be declared. waterfall, attack.

Not only that, this skin layer is able to regenerate quickly, because the cell nuclei are well protected beneath the surface.

In addition, the outer skin is coated with a carbohydrate-rich slime to surround and neutralize digestive enzymes.

Particularly in the tapeworm species, they also possess an extra layer of microvillus (Microvillus) to increase the surface area for easier absorption of food.

Structure diagram of the Tegument class covers the tapeworm.

Therefore, most human parasites tolerate gastrointestinal gastric juice.

Adults of most parasites grow in the intestinal tract (small intestine and large intestine) , which are moderately neutral to the stomach. The ones who live in the stomach have a tougher Tegument class.

Image of roundworm eggs on a microscope.

Not only humans, most mammals are infected with 'dormant' helminth eggs through food. These eggs will be awakened when its shell is digested by the host's stomach acid.

This releases early larvae to preferred places such as the stomach, small intestine, large intestine or blood to circulate.

The Tegument class adaptation has been completed through millions of years of evolution, allowing parasites to survive in relatively unfriendly environments in the host.