MESOGONIMUS Meaning and
Definition
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Mesogonimus is a genus of digenetic trematodes, commonly known as flukes, belonging to the family Heterophyidae. These parasitic worms primarily infect the intestines of various vertebrate hosts, including birds, mammals, and humans. They have a complex life cycle involving two intermediate hosts, usually a snail and a fish, and a definitive host, such as a bird or mammal.
The adult Mesogonimus flukes are small, measuring about 1-2 centimeters in length. They have flat leaf-like bodies with tapered ends. The anterior end bears a small oral sucker and two ventral suckers that help them attach to the intestinal wall of their hosts. These parasites obtain nutrients by feeding on the host's intestinal contents and blood.
The life cycle of Mesogonimus begins when eggs are shed in the feces of infected definitive hosts. After being released into the water, the eggs hatch and develop into a free-swimming miracidium, which actively seeks out a specific species of snail. Once inside the snail's body, the miracidium undergoes several developmental stages, eventually producing numerous cercariae, which swim out of the snail.
The cercariae then actively seek out a suitable fish host and penetrate its tissues. Inside the fish, they encyst as metacercariae, which are infective to the definitive host. When the fish containing the metacercariae is eaten by the definitive host, the parasites are released in the host's digestive tract, where they mature into adult flukes, completing the life cycle.
Mesogonimus infections in humans are often caused by the consumption of raw or undercooked fish containing the metacercariae. These infections, known
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A genus of flukes, the same in general as Paragonimus.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for MESOGONIMUS
- nesogonimus
- kesogonimus
- jesogonimus
- mwsogonimus
- mssogonimus
- mdsogonimus
- mrsogonimus
- m4sogonimus
- m3sogonimus
- meaogonimus
- mezogonimus
- mexogonimus
- medogonimus
- meeogonimus
- mewogonimus
- mesigonimus
- meskgonimus
- meslgonimus
- mespgonimus
- mes0gonimus
Etymology of MESOGONIMUS
The word "Mesogonimus" is derived from Greek.
The term "meso" (μεσο) means "middle" in Greek, while "gonimus" (γόνιμος) refers to "prolific" or "productive". Therefore, the literal translation of Mesogonimus would mean "prolific middle".
In the context of biology, Mesogonimus is the name of a genus of parasitic flatworms belonging to the family Heterophyidae. The name might have been chosen due to their intermediate size and life cycle, or their reproductive characteristics within the family.
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