Which statement describes a typical feature of Nematoda?

• A. Segmented body with annelid-like segmentation
• B. Pseudocoelomate body with a cuticle that molts
• C. Coelom present with a circulatory system
• D. Dorsal nerve cord runs within a bony skeleton

Answer: (B)

Nematodes are characterized by a pseudocoelomate body plan, meaning they have a fluid-filled cavity between the endoderm and mesoderm rather than a true coelom lined by mesoderm. This pseudocoel acts as a hydrostatic skeleton that helps their long, slender bodies move with only longitudinal muscles. The outer covering is a tough cuticle that is periodically shed as they grow, a process called molting. They lack a true coelom and a circulatory system; nutrients and gases diffuse directly through the body tissues instead. Their body is unsegmented, unlike annelids, and their nervous system is a nerve ring with longitudinal cords, not a dorsal nerve cord inside a bony skeleton. This combination of a pseudocoelom, a moulting cuticle, and the lack of true segmentation or circulatory system best describes a typical feature of nematodes.