Why do tapeworms not need a digestive system?
2006-10-11 15:39:22 · 4 answers · asked by chris76ers1 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
The purpose of a digestive system is to extract the nutrients from food and excrete the waste material. In the tapeworm's case, its host's intestines are doing all the work for it. So it can just absorb the nutrients straight from the host through it's body.
2006-10-16 00:12:24 · answer #1 · answered by Lauralye D 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The outer surface of a tapeworm is structured much like the inner surface of the intestine, because it has the same function - to absorb already digested nutrients. The host does the digesting, then shares the digested nutrients with the parasite.
2006-10-11 22:55:52 · answer #2 · answered by PaulCyp 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they absorb nutrients through their 'skin' when they are inside their host much the same way your intestines do, since something else is doing the work, they don't need a digestive system themselves
2006-10-11 22:41:58 · answer #3 · answered by suprasteve 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It absorbs the processed nutrients directly through its outer surface, like a ready-made all-over- body-meal.
2006-10-11 22:47:01 · answer #4 · answered by jt1isme 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋