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parasitism |
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parasitism: see parasite parasite, plant or animal that at some stage of its existence obtains its nourishment from another living organism called the host. Parasites may or may not harm the host, but they never benefit it. ..... Click the link for more information. . parasitismRelationship between two species in which one benefits at the expense of the other. Ectoparasites live on the body surface of the host; endoparasites live in their hosts' organs, tissues, or cells and often rely on a third organism (the carrier, or vector) to transmit them to the host. The cuckoo and cowbird practice brood parasitism, laying eggs in other birds' nests to be raised by the foster parents. In social parasitism, one type of animal parasitizes animals of the same type (e.g., one ant species on different ant species). Hyperparasitism occurs when parasites are parasitized (e.g., protozoans hyperparasitize a flea on a dog). See also predation. parasitism [′par·ə·sə‚tiz·əm] (ecology) A symbiotic relationship in which the host is harmed, but not killed immediately, and the species feeding on it is benefited. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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One of the most fundamental parameters in infectious disease biology is the time scale of infectivity relative to host lifetime, which affects the epidemic/endemic behavior of all microparasites (34). Distribution of oyster microparasites in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, 1959-1960. Ability to infect a range of host species is a characteristic of many invading pathogens (10) and is less common in endemic microparasites that have coevolved with their hosts. |
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