The larval stage of a tapeworm that develops as a fluid-filled sac containing the immature worm's head inside muscle or tissue.
From Latin 'cystis' (cyst/bladder) + Greek 'kerkos' (tail). The name literally describes the structure: a cyst with a tail-like worm inside.
If you looked at a cysticercus under a microscope, you'd see the tiny tapeworm head (scolex) tucked inside like a compressed coil—it's waiting for the right conditions to expand and infect a new host!
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