biology

Opisthorchis

Opisthorchis is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Opisthorchis rather than just read about it. In short: Opisthorchis is a genus of flukes in the family Opisthorchiidae. Species Species in the genus Opisthorchis include: Opisthorchis chabaudi Bourgat & Kulo, 1977 Opisthorchis felineus (Rivolta, 1884) Opisthorchis gomtii Mehra, 1941 Opisthorchis parasiluri Long & Lee Opisthorchis viverrini Poirier, 1886 The species known as Clonorchis sinensis has sometimes been reclassified into the genus Opisthorchis.

Key takeaways

Opisthorchis belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Opisthorchis to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Opisthorchis from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Opisthorchis is a genus of flukes in the family Opisthorchiidae.

Species Species in the genus Opisthorchis include:

Opisthorchis chabaudi Bourgat & Kulo, 1977 Opisthorchis felineus (Rivolta, 1884) Opisthorchis gomtii Mehra, 1941 Opisthorchis parasiluri Long & Lee Opisthorchis viverrini Poirier, 1886 The species known as Clonorchis sinensis has sometimes been reclassified into the genus Opisthorchis.

Etymology From the Greek opisthen (behind) and orchis (testicle), Opisthorchis is a genus of trematode flatworms whose testes are located in the posterior end of the body. Sebastiano Rivolta is generally credited with discovering the first opisthorchid, which he named Distoma felineus, in a cat in Italy in 1884. However, the fluke may have been mentioned by Karl Rudolphi in 1819, and in 1831, Gurlt published a textbook that included a drawing of a fluke that was almost certainly Opisthorchis. By the end of the 19th century, Distoma contained so many species that Raphaël Blanchard introduced the genus Opisthorchis for elongated flat flukes with testes in the posterior end of the body. He chose Rivolta's Opisthorchis felineus as the type species.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Opisthorchis

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Opisthorchis claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Opisthorchis before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Opisthorchis ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Opisthorchis

In research: Opisthorchis appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Opisthorchis in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Opisthorchis is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Digenea genera, Parasitic animal stubs, Trematoda stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Opisthorchis outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Opisthorchis in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Opisthorchis means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Opisthorchis out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Opisthorchis in simple terms?

Opisthorchis is a genus of flukes in the family Opisthorchiidae. Species Species in the genus Opisthorchis include: Opisthorchis chabaudi Bourgat & Kulo, 1977 Opisthorchis felineus (Rivolta, 1884) Opisthorchis gomtii Mehra, 1941 Opisthorchis parasiluri Long & Lee Opisthorchis viverrini Poirier, 188…

Why does Opisthorchis matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Opisthorchis?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Opisthorchis.