A microscopic roundworm that can be a plant parasite is called what?

A microscopic roundworm that can be a plant parasite is called what?

• A. Nematode
• B. Mite
• C. Aphid
• D. Worm

Answer: (A)

A microscopic roundworm that can be a plant parasite is called a nematode. Nematodes are tiny, unsegmented roundworms (soil-dwelling) that feed on plant roots with a specialized needle-like mouthpart called a stylet. This makes them a distinct group known specifically as plant-parasitic nematodes. Mites are arthropods with eight legs, not worms; aphids are insects; and “worm” is a broad term that doesn’t identify the organism’s true biological group. So the precise term for these plant-feeding microscopic roundworms is nematode.

A microscopic roundworm that can be a plant parasite is called a nematode. Nematodes are tiny, unsegmented roundworms (soil-dwelling) that feed on plant roots with a specialized needle-like mouthpart called a stylet. This makes them a distinct group known specifically as plant-parasitic nematodes.

Mites are arthropods with eight legs, not worms; aphids are insects; and “worm” is a broad term that doesn’t identify the organism’s true biological group. So the precise term for these plant-feeding microscopic roundworms is nematode.