The Physiology and Biochemistry of Cestodes

The cestodes, or tapeworms, are a group of parasitic worms many species of which cause serious, often fatal, diseases in man and domestic animals throughout the world. This book is an updated and expanded version of Professor Smyth's The Physiology of Cestodes (1969). The text has now been entirely rewritten, taking into account advances in investigative techniques such as immunocytochemistry, in vitro culture and scanning electron microscopy, which have immensely increased our understanding of these organisms. The biochemical coverage now includes the spectacular advances in molecular biology that have occured. The book also shows how cestodes are increasingly being recognized as valuable models for investigating fundamental biological phenomena such as membrane transport and asexual/sexual differentiation. Students of medicine, veterinary medicine, parasitology and zoology will find this book invaluable. Its high research content and extensive references also make it an essential reference book for researchers in these fields.

Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. The cestodes: general considerations; 2. The adult cestode: special structural features relevant to its physiology; 3. The adult cestode in its environment; 4. The adult: general metabolism and chemical composition; lipid metabolism; 5. The adult: carbohydrate metabolism; 6. The adult: proteins and nucleic acids; 7. The biology of the egg; 8. Developmental biology of larvae; 9. Development within definitive host; 10. Cultivation of cestodes in vitro; 11. Immunobiology of cestodes; References; Index.