cercaria

cercaria
The free-swimming trematode larva that emerges from its host snail; it may penetrate the skin of a final host (as in Schistosoma of humans), encyst on vegetation (as in Fasciola), in or on fish (as in Clonorchis), or penetrate and encyst in various arthropod hosts. Body and tail are greatly varied in form, and specialized function is adapted to the particular life cycle demands of each species. SEE ALSO: sporocyst (1), redia. [G. kerkos, tail]

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cer·car·ia (.)sər-'kar-ē-ə, -'ker- n, pl -i·ae -ē-.ē a usu. tadpole-shaped larval trematode worm that develops in a molluscan host from a redia
cer·car·i·al -ē-əl adj

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n. (pl. cercariae)
the final larval stage of any parasitic trematode (see fluke). The cercariae, which have tails but otherwise resemble the adults, are released into water from the snail host in which the parasite undergoes part of its development. Several thousand cercariae may emerge from a single snail in a day.

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cer·ca·ria (sər-karґe-ə) pl. cercaґriae [Gr. kerkos tail] the final free-swimming larval stage of a trematode parasite, consisting of a body and tail. Some cercariae encyst on aquatic vegetation and penetrate the skin of a fish or the tissues of an aquatic arthropod to form encysted metacercariae. Cercariae of schistosomes penetrate directly into the skin of the definitive host without forming metacercariae.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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  • cercaria — Gusanos trematodos. Se desarrollan en un caracol de agua dulce y se liberan en el mismo agua. La cercaria se introduce en el organismo del huésped siguiente mediante ingestión, invasión directa a través de la piel o a través de …   Diccionario médico

  • Cercaria — Cer*ca ri*a, n.; pl. {Cercarle} [NL., fr. Gr. ke rkos tail.] (Zo[ o]l.) The larval form of a trematode worm having the shape of a tadpole, with its body terminated by a tail like appendage. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Cercarĭa — Cercarĭa, so v.w. Schwanzthierchen …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • cercaria — f. Zool. Forma larval con cola de ciertos gusanos trematodos …   Diccionario de la lengua española

  • cercaria — [sər ker′ē ə] n. pl. cercariae [sər ker′ē ē΄] [ModL < Gr kerkos, tail] the free swimming larva of a parasitic trematode worm …   English World dictionary

  • cercaria — ► sustantivo femenino ZOOLOGÍA Larva con cola de algunos gusanos. * * * cercaria. f. Zool. Forma larval con cola de ciertos gusanos trematodos. * * * ► femenino ZOOLOGÍA Fase larvaria de los platelmintos trematodos …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • cercaria — cer·cà·ria s.f. TS zool. stadio larvale di alcuni vermi endoparassiti della sottoclasse dei Digenei {{line}} {{/line}} DATA: 1830. ETIMO: dal lat. scient. cercarĭa, der. del gr. kérkos coda …   Dizionario italiano

  • cercaria ornata — (PLATYHELMINTHES: Trematoda) A cercaria with a fin on the tail …   Dictionary of invertebrate zoology

  • cercaria — noun (plural cercariae) Etymology: New Latin, from Greek kerkos Date: circa 1871 a usually tadpole shaped larval trematode worm that develops in a molluscan host from a redia • cercarial adjective …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • cercaria — n.; pl. rae [Gr. kerkos, tail] (PLATYHELMINTHES: Trematoda) The free swimming larval form of a digenetic trematode; produced by asexual reproduction within a sporocyst or redia …   Dictionary of invertebrate zoology

  • cercaria — cercarial, adj. cercarian, adj., n. /seuhr kair ee euh/, n., pl. cercariae / kair ee ee /. Zool. the disk shaped larva of flukes of the class Trematoda, having a taillike appendage. [1830 40; < NL, equiv. to cerc ( < Gk kérkos tail) + aria ARIA]… …   Universalium

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