You might have heard of the word “parasite” as a negative expression - A leech, someone who takes advantage of someone else’s work or status in order to get ahead. The expression actually comes from a category of lifeforms by the same name! Parasites are entities that usually depend on their hosts, or form symbiotic relationships with them, meaning that they provide a benefit to their hosts on occasions. However, Parasites are also known for damaging their hosts, such as is the case of viruses, mosquitoes, hookworms, and lice.
Many living creatures have evolved to live as parasites, so much so that most biological categories have examples of parasites - from microbes to animals, and even plant life. A predator usually kills a victim in order to feed off of it, such as a Lion killing a gazelle. However, parasites seldom kill their victims, often using them as hosts and resources for long periods. Parasites are often carriers of diseases since they live in close proximity with their hosts. For example, mosquitos, who have a parasitic relationship with humans, might carry diseases such as Malaria or the Yellow Fever in some countries.
Parasites have various ways to attack their hosts, whether it is by feeding on some of the host’s food supply (such as is the case of intestinal parasites, like the tapeworm). Some parasites reach their hosts independently, such as mosquitos or lice, who can independently move from a host to another, while others do require a carrier or vector, such as microbes, who might each a ride via other parasites or contaminated food, for example.
That took some thinking! If you have any questions you would like answered leave a comment below!
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25 авг 2020
