PARASITISM

Parasitism, relationship
between two species of
plants or animals in
which one benefits at the
expense of the other,
sometimes without
killing the host organism.
 Dodder (Cuscuta),
a seed-producing
parasite,
entwined around
blueberry
(Vaccinium).
 PARASITE
A plant or an animal that
lives in or on another
plant or animal and gets
its food from it. Parasites
sometimes cause
disease
 ADAPTATION SHOWN BY
PARASITE
a. Loss of unnecessary sense organs.
b. Presence of adhesive organs or suckers to
cling on to the host.
c. Loss of digestive system.
d. High reproductive capacity.
e. complex life cycle involving one or two
intermediate host or vectors to facilitate
parasitisation of its primary host.
 IMPACT OF PARASITES ON
HOST
1. They may reduce the survival of host.
2. They may also reduce the growth and
reproduction of host.
3. They alse reduce host population density.
4. They render host more vulnerable to
predation by making it physically weak.
 TYPES OF PARASITES
(1) OBLIGATE PARASITE :-
An obligate parasite or holoparasite is a parasitic
organism that cannot complete its life-cycle
without exploiting a suitable host. If an obligate
parasite cannot obtain a host it will fail to
reproduce.
(2) FACULTATIVE PARASITE :-
A facultative parasite is an organism that may
resort to parasitic activity, but does not
absolutely rely on any host for completion of its
life cycle. Examples of facultative parasitism
occur among many species of fungi, such as
family members of the genus Armillaria.
(3) ECTOPARASITE :-
An ectoparasite is a parasite that lives externally
on another animal, but does not kill it. Common
examples of ectoparasites include fleas, head
lice and bed bugs.
(4) ENDOPARASITE :-
A parasite, such as a tapeworm, that lives inside
its host at different sites (liver , kidney, lungs ,
RBC's).
Life cycle is more complex due to their extreme
specialization.
Eg. Sporozoans, Tapeworm, flukes, and
Nematodes e.t.c .
TYPES OF PARASITISM
 BROOD PARASITISM
• Brood parasitism is a form of
kleptoparasitism. Brood parasites
manipulate the behaviour of the
host so that the host raises the
young of the parasite instead of the
host's own young. A well known
example of brood parasitism in
birds is that of the cuckoo.
• BROOD PARASITISM
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