Trichinella spiralis – Adult worm

France, Pays Jean-François

Adult Trichinella spiralis female is 4 mm in length by 150 µm in width, and adult male is 2-3 times smaller. The anterior end contains the stichosome, i.e., a row of disc-shaped cells. The posterior tip is elongate in both sexes, but female’s end is more rounded and contains ovaries. The vulva opens at a body level corresponding with mid-esophagus. Male’s posterior tip bears copulatory organs called alae.