*Outside the body, the eggs are freed by disintegration of the segment, or are shed through the genital pore. Each egg is immediately infective and contains a tapeworm larva with six hooks (the oncosphere), surrounded by a thick, dark ‘shell’ made of numerous blocks (giving a striated appearance when viewed under the microscope). A true shell, which is a delicate membrane, is often lost while still in the uterus. | *Outside the body, the eggs are freed by disintegration of the segment, or are shed through the genital pore. Each egg is immediately infective and contains a tapeworm larva with six hooks (the oncosphere), surrounded by a thick, dark ‘shell’ made of numerous blocks (giving a striated appearance when viewed under the microscope). A true shell, which is a delicate membrane, is often lost while still in the uterus. |