Nematodes are one of the most numerous and diverse animal phyla, with over 80,000 species named by science. They can be found in all environments, with estimates of between 10^18 and 10^21 nematodes worldwide. They can be pests to farmers, but the 1mm long Caenorhabditis elegans is a model organism in biology, with its entire developmental fate known. Some genetic manipulation techniques used on C. elegans could have future applications in medicine.
Roundworms, also known as roundworms, are one of 37 living animal phyla and one of the most numerous and diverse. Over 80,000 species have been named by science, and by the numbers, nematodes are one of the most numerous animals in existence. Nematodes are found in large numbers in all terrestrial, marine and freshwater environments, where they outnumber all other animals, including insects. It is estimated that there are between 1018 (one quintillion) and 1021 (one sextillion) nematodes worldwide.
Nematodes have adapted to living in every possible environment, consuming bacteria, fungi, protozoa and the contents of other animals or plants. Of the 80,000 scientifically named nematode species, over 18,000 are parasitic. Scientists believe that the total number of nematode species may exceed 500,000. Different parasitic nematodes are adapted to different hosts and vary in length accordingly. Roundworms are called “roundworms” especially when they are found in the human intestine, where they can be several centimeters long and cause disease. The largest nematodes ever found were 8.5 m (28 ft) long, with 32 ovaries, found in the intestines of sperm whales.
Nematodes are thought to make up 90% of all life on the sea floor and are found in the deepest trenches of the ocean, where the pressure is 100 times greater than at the surface. Three nematode species are found in Antarctica’s McMurdo Dry Valleys, one of the harshest environments on Earth, where temperatures reach -60°C (-76°F) in winter and wind speeds exceed 320 km/h (200 mph), removing nearly all moisture. Nematodes can survive in tiny droplets of moisture within rocks by consuming bacteria.
Nematodes can be a pest to farmers, causing billions of dollars in crop damage each year. On the plus side, a nematode, the 1 mm long Caenorhabditis elegans, is a model organism in biology and extensive study of its structure, life cycle and genetics has been a boon to the field. Every cell in C. elegans (959 in the adult hermaphrodite; 1031 in the adult male) has been mapped, their entire developmental fate known. Using genetic manipulation techniques, the scientists were able to extend the life span of C. elegans tenfold, from about 19 days at most to 190 days. Some of these techniques could find future applications in medicine.
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