Life Cycle of Schistosoma mansoni
NB.,This is an interactive image, please click on specific life cycle stage for further information.
Of the Trematodes, schistosomes are atypical, in that the adult stages have two sexes and are located in blood vessels in the definitive host. Most other trematodes are hermaphroditic, and are found in the intestinal tract, or organs such as the liver. The lifecycle of schistosomes includes two hosts, a definitive host (e.g. man) where the parasite undergoes sexual reproduction, and a single intermediate snail host where there are a number of asexual reproductive stages.