PENTASTOMA DENTICULATUM Meaning and
Definition
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Pentastoma denticulatum is a parasitic arthropod belonging to the phylum Pentastomida. It is commonly known as the toothed penta or the Armillifer worm. These organisms typically infect the respiratory tracts of reptiles, especially snakes, and occasionally other animals such as birds and mammals, including humans.
Pentastoma denticulatum has a cylindrical body shape with a length of around 1-2 centimeters. It is covered with a hard exoskeleton and possesses five pairs of hook-like mouthparts, giving it a tooth-like appearance. These mouthparts enable it to attach to the host's respiratory tissues where it feeds on blood and tissue fluids.
The life cycle of Pentastoma denticulatum involves multiple stages. Adult worms lay eggs within the host's respiratory tract, which are then coughed up and subsequently ingested by intermediate hosts such as rodents or reptiles. In the host's body, the eggs develop into larvae that migrate to various organs, including the lungs and liver. When these intermediate hosts are consumed by a definitive host, like a snake, the larvae infect the respiratory system, complete their development, and mature into adult worms.
In humans, Pentastoma denticulatum infections are considered rare but have been reported, often in individuals who consume undercooked snake or reptile meat. These infections can lead to respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms, including coughing, wheezing, fever, and abdominal pain. Treatment typically involves the removal of the parasite and, if necessary, administration of antiparasitic medications.
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Porocephalus denticulatus, the larva of Linguatula rhinaria, sometimes parasitic in the nose.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for PENTASTOMA DENTICULATUM
- oentastoma denticulatum
- lentastoma denticulatum
- -entastoma denticulatum
- 0entastoma denticulatum
- pwntastoma denticulatum
- psntastoma denticulatum
- pdntastoma denticulatum
- prntastoma denticulatum
- p4ntastoma denticulatum
- p3ntastoma denticulatum
- pebtastoma denticulatum
- pemtastoma denticulatum
- pejtastoma denticulatum
- pehtastoma denticulatum
- penrastoma denticulatum
- penfastoma denticulatum
- pengastoma denticulatum
- penyastoma denticulatum
- pen6astoma denticulatum
- pen5astoma denticulatum
Etymology of PENTASTOMA DENTICULATUM
The word "Pentastoma denticulatum" is a scientific binomial name that consists of two components, the genus name "Pentastoma" and the species name "denticulatum".
The etymology of "Pentastoma" can be traced back to ancient Greek. It is a compound word, combining "pente" meaning "five" and "stoma" meaning "mouth". This name refers to the characteristic feature of the animal, which is its five-fold segmented mouthparts.
The species name "denticulatum" is derived from the Latin word "denticulus", meaning "small tooth" or "little tooth". This name likely refers to the tooth-like structures or appendages present on the mouthparts of the organism.
Overall, the name "Pentastoma denticulatum" describes a parasitic animal with a five-segmented mouthparts and tooth-like structures.
