An Introduction to Roundworms: The Earth’s Most Abundant Animal Group and its Impacts on Humankind

With non-specialist language, this book educates the general public, students (high schoolers and up), teachers, and science journalists on the multipronged impact of roundworms on humankind. The book covers the negative and positive impacts of roundworms on agriculture and human health, and their role in the sustainability of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. It also explains how roundworms have been used as biological models in biology, biomedical, and space research; as tools for environmental monitoring; and as biological control agents against agricultural and urban pests. All these aspects are the subject of several interviews with renowned scientists, in which they talk about their personal trajectory, challenges, and ideas on their research on roundworms. Additional chapters present selected information on nematode life cycles and behavior, a narrated computer animation on the morphology and evolution of nematodes, and links to additional learning resources. This book is instrumental to educating a wide audience on the Earth’s most pervasive animal group, which is to date astonishingly little known by the public.