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The ciliated, motile _____ emerges from an operculated egg of a diagenetic fluke?

1) Microfilaria
2) Protozoan
3) Miracidium
4) Oroglottid

User Joncarlo
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Final answer:

The ciliated, motile stage that emerges from an operculated egg of a diagenetic fluke is known as a miracidium, a larval form within the Platyhelminthes phylum.

Step-by-step explanation:

The ciliated, motile organism that emerges from an operculated egg of a diagenetic fluke is called a miracidium. Flukes are classified within the phylum Platyhelminthes, making them a type of flatworm. The miracidium is a larval stage in the complex life cycle of the fluke, where it actively seeks out an intermediate host, usually a snail, to continue its development.

Upon hatching, these ciliated larvae swim in water until they find and penetrate the soft tissues of their specific hosts. The unique adaptations of miracidia, including their ciliation, facilitate their dispersal and host penetration, crucial steps in the life cycles of parasitic flatworms.

User Hgwhittle
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