INTRODUCTION TO PARASITOLOGY

PARASITOLOGY

Is the area of biology concerned with the phenomenon of dependence of one living organism on another.

The study of parasites, their hosts, and the relationship between them.

PARASITE

An organism that lives on or in its host, which is usually a larger organism, that provides physical protection and nourishment. An organism that has sustained contact with another organism to the detriment to the host organism.

FIELDS /BRANCHES OF PARASITOLOGY

Medical parasitology Veterinary parasitology Structural parasitology Quantitative parasitology Parasite ecology Conservation biology of parasite Taxonomy and phylogenetics

PREDATOR

those that attack another living animal, not necessarily killing them. ( attacker)

PREY

They are the victim.

HOST

The organism from which a parasite obtains its nutrition and/or shelter. Intermediate host- is used normally by a parasite in the course of its life cycle and it which it may multiply asexually and but not sexually

Definitive host- is the host in which the sexual reproduction of parasite takes place.
Reservoir host- is an organism in which a parasite that is pathogenic for some other species, lives and multiplies usually without damaging its host.

SCAVENGERS Devouring those dead of natural causes or taking the leavings of the predator.
SYMBIOSIS Living together in more or less intimate association or close union of two dissimilar organisms From the Greek symbiosis which means the state of living together.

DIFFERENT FORM OF SYMBIOSIS Commensalism - means eating at the same table - association that is beneficial to one partner and at least not disadvantageous to the other. - a relation between two kinds of organisms in which one obtains food or other benefits from the other without damaging it.

SPECIALIZED TYPE OF COMMENSALISM Mutualism- association is beneficial to booth. Parasitism- symbiotic relationship in which one organism , the host is to some degree injured thru the activities of the other.

VECTORS Hosts that transmit parasites to man. BIOLOGIC VECTORS those that are essential in the life cycle.
PHORETIC OR MECHNICAL VECTORS Those that are not essential in the life cycle.

ZOONOSIS Disease of animals (literally) Disease of animals that are transmissible to man CLASSIFICATION OF ZOONOSIS Euzoonosis- Common to man and reservoir host. Parazoonosis- man is infrequent host and incidental Anthropozoonosis- infection acquired by man from other vertebrates.

Zooanthroponosis- human infection that maybe acquired by other vertebrates Obligate parasite- cannot exist without the host
Facultative parasite- can be free living or parasitic Amphizoic- free living amoeba that may invade and colonize the brain and other sites( Naegleria and Acanthomoeba)

Spurious- Free living parasites or organisms that parasitize other hosts, - they merely passed the intestine , - recovered in living or dead state from he human feces.