Overview
This is the mouth part of the hookworm Ancylostoma duodenale. The hookworm uses sharp, curved cutting plates to attach to the lining of the intestine where it sucks blood for nourishment. (Image courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.)
Review Date 8/26/2023
Updated by: Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Associate Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Associate in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.