nematode

[nem-uh-tohd]

noun

1. any unsegmented worm of the phylum Nematoda, having an elongated, cylindrical body; a roundworm.

adjective

1. pertaining to the Nematoda.

nematode

/ ˈnɛməˌtəʊd /

noun

1. Also called: nematode worm.  roundworm. any unsegmented worm of the phylum (or class) Nematoda, having a tough outer cuticle. The group includes free-living forms and disease-causing parasites, such as the hookworm and filaria

nematode

1. Any of several slender, cylindrical worms of the group Nematoda, which some scientists consider to be a class of the aschelminths and others to be a separate phylum. Most nematodes are tiny and live in enormous numbers in water, soil, plants, and animals. They have a simple structure, with a long hollow gut separated from the body wall by a fluid-filled space. Several nematodes, such as pinworm, roundworm, filaria, and hookworm, are parasites on animals and humans and cause disease. One species, Caenorhabditis elegans (usually called C. elegans), was one of the first animals to have its entire genome sequenced and is important in biological research as a model organism.

Word History and Origins

Origin of nematode¹

First recorded in 1860–65; nemat- + -ode ¹

Example Sentences

For the living system, they used the nematode C. elegans as a model organism.

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That innovation provided the missing method needed to move forward with the new nematode research.

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Researchers at the University of Basel in Switzerland have found that certain nutrients can cause a mild stress reaction in nematodes.

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The host of life on ice includes bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, even microscopic animals like nematodes, some dead and some alive in suspended animation.

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Organisms that can survive in this suspended, or anabiotic, state, Yarzábal explained, include not just extremophile bacteria but also viruses, fungi, protozoa and microscopic animals called nematodes.

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