Final answer:
F. hepatica is a trematode, not a schistosome or pentastome. It causes fascioliasis and infects humans through ingestion, contrasting schistosomes which cause schistosomiasis and infect through skin contact.
Step-by-step explanation:
F. hepatica, known as the liver fluke, is a species of trematode, one of a large group of flatworms. It causes a disease known as fascioliasis. Unlike schistosomes, which are blood flukes that infect hosts through skin contact with contaminated water, liver flukes like F. hepatica infect humans by ingestion of larvae from contaminated aquatic plants.
In the life cycle of liver flukes, freshwater snails act as an intermediate host. After being ingested by the primary host, the flukes migrate to the bile ducts where they mature. Comparatively, schistosomiasis is caused by another type of trematodes called schistosomes, and it is a significant disease affecting millions worldwide with a different transmission method and health implications.