Question

How does a tapeworm receive nutrients?

1) it absorbs digested nutrients directly from its host, requiring no digestive tract
2) it ingests both food items and enzymes from its host, breaking down food and absorbing nutrients without its own digestive tract
3) it ingests part of its host's fluids into its incomplete digestive tract
4) it ingests part of its host's fluids into its complete digestive tract

Answer 1

Tapeworms absorb nutrients directly from the host's digested food in the intestinal tract using their scolex to attach, as they lack their own digestive system (option 1).

Step-by-step explanation:

A tapeworm receives nutrients by absorbing digested nutrients directly from its host's intestine. Tapeworms lack a mouth and a digestive system, and instead have a structure called a scolex, which has hooks to attach to the host. They absorb nutrients across their body wall from the digested food matter in the host's intestinal tract. This parasitic adaptation enables tapeworms to thrive within the nutrient-rich environment of the host's digestive system without the need for their own digestive organs.

Hence, the answer is option 1.