The digestive tract of the flatworm, as shown here of a representative of the Dugesia genus, is not very complicated.
This type of flatworm lives in fresh water. Flatworms absorb their food by mouth in the middle part of their lower body. A small tube shoots from the center of their body at the food and sucks it into the Pharynx. The fresh food is sent to and through the 'intestine', also known as the gastrovascular cavity. There the food is digested. It is spread on all parts of the worm, where the nutrients are needed for growth.
The flatworm has only one way to remove undigested food residues from its 'system'. It has no anus like other animals. In order to subsequently remove these residues from the body, the unused nutrients and waste are released through the mouth again. In the pictures, the digestive tract has been made more visible by injection with a contrast fluid.
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