Canine: Parasite Diagnostic Terms

Single-cell Embryo = Fertilized egg (zygote) prior to cell division.

Morulated = Zygote has gone through a few cell divisions.

Larvated = Near completion of development, with organism taking final form prior to hatching. May be active within the shell.

Egg Packet = Two or more eggs collectively enclosed by a membranous envelope. Term specific for Dipylidium sp. ova structures.

Operculum = Egg cap from which larvae emerge from the egg. A term specific for trematode ova.

Bipolar Plugs = Thick caps found at the opposite ends of an egg. Usually a term specific for Trichurid and Capillarid nematodes.