The life cycle of Ascaris lumbricoides starts when fertilized eggs are passed out of an infected person in their feces. These lumbricoides eggs can contaminate soil, water or food. When someone ingests infective eggs, the eggs hatch in the small intestine, releasing tiny larvae.
These larvae then embark on a journey through the body, traveling through the bloodstream to the lungs. Once in the lungs, they’re coughed up and swallowed, returning to the intestines, where they mature into adult worms.
From here, the cycle repeats as female worms release more eggs into the environment through the host’s feces.
Unhatched eggs can be either fertilized eggs or unfertilized eggs, depending on whether the female worm has mated. Unfertilized eggs won’t develop into new worms, but they still exit the body through the same process.
