Tapeworm egg. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM). Tapeworms reside in a host's intestines, absorbing digested food directly through the segments, or proglottids, of its body. The proglottids also have both male and female sex organs and therefore can produce eggs. The eggs are released into the intestines, expelled with the faeces and then ingested by an intermediate host. They travel to the organs and form a hydatid cyst, which if ingested by the definitive host, forms a new tapeworm. Magnification: x650 when printed 10 centimetres wide.