Naming
''S. mansoni'' was first noted by Theodor Maximillian Bilharz in Egypt in 1851, while discovering ''S. haematobium''. Sir Patrick Manson identified it as unique species in 1902. Louis Westenra Sambon gave the name ''Schistosomum mansoni'' in 1907 in honour of Manson.
Reproduction
Unlike other flukes in which sexes are not separate, schistosomes are unique in that adults are divided into males and females. However, the two adults live in permanent partnership, a condition called ''in copula''; for this, they are considered as hermaphrodites. The life cycle of schistosomes includes two hosts: humans as definitive hosts, where the parasite undergoes sexual reproduction, and snails as intermediate hosts, where a series of asexual reproductive takes place. ''S. mansoni'' is transmitted through water, where freshwater snails of the genus ''Biomphalaria'' act as intermediate hosts. The larvae are able to live in water and infect the hosts by directly penetrating the skin. Prevention of infection is done by improved sanitation and killing the snails. Infection is treated with praziquantel.
Food
Developing ''Schistosoma mansoni'' worms that have infected their definitive hosts, prior to the sexual pairing of males and females, require a nutrient source in order to properly develop from cercariae to adults. The developing parasites lyse host red blood cells to gain access to nutrients and also makes its own fungi from its waste it is hard to detect; the hemoglobin and amino acids the blood cells contain can be used by the worm to form proteins. While hemoglobin is digested intracellularly, initiated by salivary gland enzymes, iron waste products cannot be used by the worms, and are typically discarded via regurgitation.Kasschau et al. tested the effect of temperature and pH on the ability of developing ''S. mansoni'' to lyse red blood cells. The researchers found that the parasites were best able to destroy red blood cells for their nutrients at a pH of 5.1 and a temperature of 37 °C.
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