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parasite
parasitism
parasitism The interaction of species populations in which one, typically small, organism (the parasite) lives in or on another (the host), from which it obtains food, shelter, or other requirements. Unlike a predator, a parasite does not have to kill its host in order to obtain food. Parasitism usually implies that some harm is done to the host, but this interpretation must be qualified. Effects on the host range from almost none to severe illness and eventual death, but even where such obvious immediate harm accrues to the individual host it does not follow that the relationship is harmful to the host species in the long term or in an evolutionary context (for example, it might favour beneficial adaptation in the host species population). Obligate parasites can live only parasitically. Facultative parasites may live as parasites or as independent saprophytes. Ectoparasites live externally on the host. Endoparasites inside the body live body of the host. A partial parasite is a plant that carries out photosynthesis, but relies on its host for other nutrients and needs, e.g., support. Compare
COMMENSALISM;
MUTUALISM; and
NEUTRALISM.
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Parasites: an underlying cause of chronic illness.
Newspaper article from: Women's Health Letter; 12/1/2002; ; 700+ words
; ...acid (a natural barrier to parasites) and a lack of beneficial...two indicators of possible parasites. If your doctor needs more...laboratories specializing in parasite identification may fail to...tests to try to identify which parasites you have. Then, if your...
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Parasites persuade immune cells to invite them in for dinner, says new research.
Newspaper article from: Vaccine Weekly; 9/9/2009; 700+ words
; ...polyamines, for the parasites instead. Finally...the effect of PSG on parasite survival in vitro...cells with Leishmania parasites with and without PSG...cells and the number of parasites in the cells increased...fold with PSG. The parasite infection declined after...
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 "Post-Tribune (IN)")
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Freeloading parasites live off people, plants
Newspaper article from: Post-Tribune (IN); 2/2/2006; ; 700+ words
; ...S. National Parasite Collection in...appointment. Parasites are animals...Beltsville's parasites. It's the world's largest parasite collection...upon shelf of parasite-filled jars...Why study parasites? Parasites...
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PARASITES OUTWEIGH PREDATORS IN PACIFIC COAST ESTUARIES
News Wire article from: US Fed News Service, Including US State News; 7/23/2008; 700+ words
; ...an ecological perspective, parasites serve both as regulators to...understanding the enormity of parasite biomass and the burden it...rate of energy uptake by the parasites and pathogens. "The total...d expect given the large parasite biomass," Kuris said...
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Parasites of spottail shiners (Notropis hudsonius) in the St. Lawrence River: effects of municipal effluents and habitat.(Report)
Magazine article from: Canadian Journal of Zoology; 10/1/2006; ; 700+ words
; ...being Diplostomum spp. Parasite communities were dominated...abundance of the most common parasites varied among localities...analyses demonstrated that parasite component communities...diversity. However, the parasite species composition...examine les communautes de parasites de queue a ...
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PARASITES IMPORTANT TO EVOLUTION, SCIENTISTS SAY
Newspaper article from: Post-Tribune (IN); 7/19/1990; 700+ words
; ...not occur. Compatible parasites would have an unending...hosts, allowing the parasite to flourish, the scientists...Thus, the presence of parasites forces most organisms...survive. The effects of parasites on the evolutionary...symposium on host-parasite interactions and evolution...
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Parasite-induced mortality in mycophagous Drosophila.
Magazine article from: Ecology; 3/1/1995; ; 700+ words
; ...adversely affected by parasites (Anderson and May...theoretically that if parasite-caused reductions...intrinsic to the host-parasite interaction. Thus...on the effects of parasites on host survival...loss of individual parasites. Thus, changes...depend not only on parasite-caused ...
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Locking Parasites in Host Cell Could Be New Way to Fight Malaria, Penn Study Shows.
News Wire article from: Ascribe Higher Education News Service; 4/3/2009; 700+ words
; ...regulated protease, left parasites trapped inside the host...back into the cell, parasites were able to once again...the distantly related parasite T. gondii might use...observed for malaria parasites. Over the past 40 years...proteins rather than the parasite itself might give the...
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Malaria Parasites Develop in Lymph Nodes.
News Wire article from: Ascribe Higher Education News Service; 1/22/2006; 700+ words
; ...travels of the malaria parasite Plasmodium through...Paris found the parasites developing in an...response to the malaria parasite. An hour after...nearly half of the parasites remained in the...vaccines that target parasites before they develop...Menard said. Parasite development in ...
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Do parasites matter? Assessing the fitness consequences of haemogregarine infection in snakes.
Magazine article from: Canadian Journal of Zoology; 5/1/2006; ; 700+ words
; ...haemogregarine blood parasites: 90% of snakes...tested carried the parasite, with the proportion...hemogregarines parasites du sang; 90 % des...examine es portent le parasite et, en moyenne...hosts and their parasites (e.g., Brown...taxa confirm that parasite infestation can...
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Parasites
Encyclopedia entry from: UXL Encyclopedia of Science
Parasites A parasite is an organism that depends on another...host: An organism infected by a parasite while the parasite is in a developmental form, not...otherwise, that carries and transmits parasites and diseases. Parasites that remain...
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Intestinal Parasites
Encyclopedia entry from: Complete Human Diseases and Conditions
...plant harboring a parasite is called its host. Parasites live at the expense...of intestinal parasite, and as many...infected with these parasites. Intestinal...some intestinal parasites pass through...into feces. The parasite then can spread...
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Skin Parasites
Encyclopedia entry from: Complete Human Diseases and Conditions
...it. When these parasites latch onto someone...organism, such as a parasite or virus, with...hundreds or more of the parasites. Skin parasites...often diagnose skin parasite infestations just by spotting the parasites, their eggs, larvae...
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Parasites and Parasitology
Book article from: Science of Everyday Things
PARASITES AND PARASITOLOGY CONCEPT When people hear the word parasite, one of the first ideas or...that of disease. Though many parasites do carry diseases, including...defining characteristic of a parasite. Rather, a parasite can...
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parasite
Book article from: World Encyclopedia
...arrangement may be harmful to the host. Parasites occur in many groups of plants and...virtually all major animal groups. A parasite that lives in the host is called...exterior is an ectoparasite . Many parasites, such as protozoan , fleas and worms...
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