Parasitism - Definition, types and examples

Parasitism is one of the most widespread life strategies in the Animal Kingdom, being at least 20% of the parasitic animal species of other organisms.

There are taxa only composed of parasitic beings, such as viruses and acanthcephals (parasitic worms).These types of organisms live at the expense of other living beings, either during their entire life or for a short period.

In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will learn the definition of parasitism, the different types that exist, we will understand what advantages and disadvantages this style has of life and we will know some examples.

What is parasitism?

Parasitism is a type of symbiosis in which one of the organisms involved (host) is harmed, that is, it does not obtain any benefit and also suffers damage derived from the relationship.On the other hand, the parasite find in this relationship its survival mode.This type of relationship is maintained until one of the two individuals (parasite or host) dies.

Within this relationship, each member belongs to a different species.parasito needs to live in the host to get food, often genetic material for the creation of their own proteins and, in addition, finds in the host their habitat, without which they could not live.

For everything this, parasites are organisms that need a close and continuous relationship with a host (of another species), which provides food, digestive enzymes or materials and stimulates them to develop or reproduce.

Types of parasitism

There are several ways to classify parasites, then we show you the best known or used:

Taxonomic classification: taxonomically, parasites are classified as phytoparasites when they parasitize plants and zooparasites when they infect animals.In parasitology, a science that studies parasites, only zooparasites are treated.

Classification according to the level of dependence the parasite has on the host:

Optional parasite: are those species of parasites that are capable of living through another form of life in addition to the parasitic.
Mandatory parasite: they are those that cannot live outside the host, they depend totally on it for any stage of development.
Accidental parasite: they are the parasites that, by mistake, end up inside an animal which is not their usual host and, despite this, gets Survive.
Erratic parasite: parasites that live in e The interior of the animals usually do so in a specific organ or tissue.A parasite that is in an organ that is not normal is known as an erratic parasite.

Classification according to the location of the parasite within of the host:

Endoparasite: are the parasites that need to live inside the host, such as the heart, lungs, liver or digestive tract.
Ectoparasite: they live on the host, never inside.For example on the skin or hair.

Classification according to the period of time that the parasite keeps the host parasitized:

Temporary parasites: the parasitic phase is temporary and only occurs on the surface of the animal (host), never inside.The parasite is fed on the host, its skin or blood, for example.
Periodic parasite: the parasite needs to pass one of the stages of his life (egg, larva, juvenile or adult) inside the host, then he will live freely.
Permanent parasite: the parasite must spend his entire life inside or outside the guest if he wants to survive.

Advantages of living as a parasite

In the beginning, the animals we know today as parasites had a free lifestyle in the past.The fact that at a given moment in evolution these animals acquired a parasitic lifestyle, it suggests that they should get some kind of benefit.

The first advantage that parasites find is that of habitat.Animals have mechanisms to keep homeostasis inside their body, which gives the parasite the possibility of living in a medium that barely has fluctuations.

On the other hand, they have an easy way of distributing their offspring over large areas quickly.For example, if the parasite releases eggs to through the feces of his host, it is certain that his offspring will develop in other places.For a parasite the food is always close and available, because it feeds on the host itself or part of the food that it eats.

Disadvantages of living as a parasite

Not all are advantages for parasitic life animals.The fact of living inside a body makes the parasitic congenres far away, both in space and time, since they will live in other guests, Therefore, strategies for sexual reproduction must be found in order to combine genetic material.

As a rule, guests do not want to be parasitized, so they will be hostile to parasites and try to get rid of them.at all costs, for example, through grooming.In addition, the guest may die, so the habitat is not forever.

Examples of parasitisms

In this section we show you some of the most known and common parasitic relationships, many of them, are also zoonoses.

Coccidiosis is a disease caused by a group of protist parasites belonging to the subclass Coccidiasina.Coccidia are obligate intracellular parasites, so they need a host to live, they must also be found not only inside the animal, but inside their cells.
Echinocosis or hydatidosis is another serious disease caused by the relationship that occurs between a parasite of the Cestoda class and a mammal, usually cattle, pets or the human being itself.Cestodes are endoparasites of the digestive tract like tapeworms.Their larvae can travel through the blood to other organs such as the liver, producing hydatid cysts.
Fleas and lice are other good examples of parasitism.In this case, parasites live on the animal and not inside it.

If you want to read more articles similar to Parasitism-Definition, types and examples , we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.

Bibliography

Palacios, JT, Chiaretta, A.,&Lovera, H.(2006).Parasitism: An Interspecific Association.Argentina: National University of Rio Cuarto.
Posada, JOA (2014).Description of the most common intestinal parasites in canines taken to the Lasallian Veterinary Clinic Brother Octavio Martinez Lopez.Journal of Agriculture and Animal Sciences, 2 (1).
Taylor, MA,&Catchpole, J.(1994).Coccidiosis of domestic ruminants.Applied Parasitology, 35 (2), 73-86.

Comments

How to deworm canaries? - Internally and externally

The canary is a bird that has been bred in captivity for more of 500 years and is especially appreciated for its pleasant and sweet melodies.It is also a sweet and harmonious bird that enjoys the company of its relatives in a large cage. However, on the sidelines of their diet, one of the main cares that we must offer our canaries is grooming, since otherwise they contract parasites that can be very dangerous for their health. Do you want to know how to deworm canaries? In this article we tell you different methods! What parasites affect the canaries? The parasites are one of the most common diseases in the Canaries, which contract them mainly due to the lack of hygiene in the space where they live.If you have canaries it is of vital importance that you maintain a correct cleaning of their cages and utensils, since certain parasites can even cause them death. The most common parasites that affect these birds are: Mites in the canaries : they can stay in the body of the a...

Gray parrot or red-tailed yaco: characteristics

Origin of the yaco parrot The gray parrot is found naturally in almost all of Africa, being able to spot specimens in different countries, such as Kenya or Nigeria, but not all gray parrots are the same, because depending on the region it will be more frequent to see one or the other of the three subspecies of gray parrot that exist: the nominal one, which is the most frequent at the same time as the most appreciated as a company animal, that of vinegar tail and that of the islands of S.Tome and Principe. The habitat of the yaco is made up of mangroves to lush equatorial forests, including also areas adjacent to the courses of the rivers and cenagas.Currently, due to the destruction of many of these habitats, the red-tailed yaco parrot is within the threatened species list . There are no documents that date the existence of the red-tailed yaco parrot from a concrete moment in history, although it is estimated that already existed more than 4000 years ago ong>, being a kin...

How to heal a wound in my dog's eye?

In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will explain how to heal a wound in a dog's eye , differentiating when it occurs around the eye or inside.A wound in one eye, due to its location, presents differences with respect to wounds produced in others parts of the body, so they can not be cured in the same way.Also, most of these wounds will require examination by a veterinarian, since we could be in the eye damage that cause serious injury. If your dog has wounds around the eye or inside and you don't know what to do, keep reading and apply the first aid we share. How to heal wounds around the eyes in dogs? In principle, and as long as these wounds do not affect the inside of the eye, we can treat them as if they were wounds in any other part of the body.So, to heal them we will follow the following steps, provided that it is superficial lesions caused, for example, by a slight blow to the eye, since the deep ones require veterinary assistance: We must delimit...

Common diseases of mandarin diamond

If you are thinking of hosting a Mandarin diamond or you already have one, in addition to its Basic care you should also know some of the most common conditions that this exotic bird can suffer.The Taeniopygia guttata is a very small bird and very appreciated for its appearance and its simple care but, to give it the best quality of life in our home, we must recognize some symptoms and health problems that will indicate when you should go to the veterinarian. Therefore, in this article of Animals and Pets Online we will explain the most common diseases of Mandarin diamond or Timor's zebra diamond, so that you can detect when it is possible that your little pet is having a problem. Constipation One of the most common health problems in these small birds is constipation .Among the signs that will alert us that our partner is suffering from this disorder we will see the following: Difficulty to evacuate Irritated sewer Swollen belly Wrapping Repetitive gestures down ...

Gineta: characteristics and photos

The gine or genetta genetta in European is a feral animal that inhabits the entire Iberian Peninsula and in the southern half of France.There is a theory that the ginads that populate our lands come from Africa, and were introduced by the Saracens in the eighth century, as domestic animals.Another (more modern) theory states that the Romans had ginnets in their homes to keep them free of mice. Roman ginets came from Egypt although they also had domesticated gints in Constantinople.They are tremendously predatory animals, great hunters of rats, mice and snakes. Origin Wild ginetas originally have two origins: Africa and Asia.From there they have colonized other places, basically due to the intervention of man. It was common the presence of ginetas on the Phoenician ships and ships of later cultures .Obviously, by the success in antiquity and some documents that prove it, the gin can be tamed ; however, it can hardly be considered a pet to use if one is adopted. Physical a...

AIR ANIMALS - Examples and characteristics

Flying is one of the ways animals have to move , but not everyone can do it.To fly it is necessary to have physical characteristics that allow the flight.The human being, through the observation of aerial animals, has taken centuries to create a machine that flies, for example, as a bird. Only a few groups of animals have the real ability to fly, although if we see it from the perspective of the species, most of the animal species that exist on the planet fly, insects.In this article of Animal Expert we will know which are the aerial animals , their characteristics and some examples. What are air animals? Air animals are those that use flight as a mechanism of locomotion.For some animals this is their only way of moving but many others use it as an escape route in the presence of a predator. Certain animals spend the majority of their lives flying, performing all their vital functions in the air: eating, interacting with their environment and living or reproducing.For them, f...

Animals that clean the aquarium

Aquariums tend to get dirty very easily.An excess of food, a direct sun, having excessive plants or algae in the water can make the water cloudy.Getting a pump or a filter is a good idea but we can also turn to fish and other animals that clean the aquarium naturally by feeding on the carron that resides in the bottom sand. In ExpertAnimal we propose a list of animals that clean the aquarium and some basic notes to know if they could fit in your fish tank.Are you ready? Keep reading and discover our proposals to choose the right one: Snails Here are some species of snails that are in general, excellent bottom cleaners of the aquarium, however you should know that they are suitable for saltwater aquariums so they will be a good option if you have saltwater fish: Tectus niloticus This type of snail is certainly large reaching about 15 centimeters so it is recommended for aquariums of superior size.It has high nutritional requirements so it will serve as a potential clea...

12 animals of Patagonia that you should know

Animals of Chilean and Argentine Patagonia Generally, Patagonia is usually "divided" into two large areas or regions: the coastal or coastal zone , which is cleared by the Atlantic Ocean on the Argentine side and the Ocean Pacific, in Chile, and the continental or Andean-Patagonian region that includes the most central regions, with predominantly desert climates, up to the Andes Mountains, with a great predominance of humid and glacial forests. In addition to the differences in the landscape, it is also possible to note that biodiversity is usually different in these regions.In the coastal region, we observe a clear predominance of fish, birds and aquatic mammals, while in the area continental land mammals and species adapted to freshwater bodies, mainly lakes and lagoons stand out. As in both regions, we find several locations with similar microclimates and environmental conditions in both Chilean Patagonia and the argenti na, it is possible to find many species tha...

BIRDS THAT DO NOT FLY - Features and 10 examples

Are there birds that don't fly? The truth is that yes.Different adaptive reasons have caused certain species to have evolved, leaving behind their ability to fly.We speak of very different birds from each other, of different sizes and origins, who only have in common the fact of not flying. In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will show you a list with the names of 10 birds that do not fly, but also, we will talk about the most notable characteristics of each of the examples.Do not miss this article, Read on to find out everything about the birds that can't fly ! Why are there non-flying birds? It is necessary to clarify that all the species of non-flying birds that exist today descend from ancient birds that did have the ability to move through the air.In spite of this, some causes, especially those that are related to survival , stimulated the adaptation of these species until they developed the characteristics they currently show. One of the reasons tha...

Paloma Torcaz: characteristics

The wood pigeon ( Columba palumbus ) is the largest of the pigeons and usually inhabits forested areas.Unlike the domestic pigeon, which can have a great variety of shades in its feathers, the coloring pattern of the wood pigeon is always the same, and the white spots on the neck are never missing. It is increasingly common to see this species of the order of the columbiforms in our cities, that is why in this Animals and Pets Online file we want to talk about this beautiful ave.Discover below everything you need about the wood pigeon : origin, habitat, characteristics, food and reproduction. Origin of the wood pigeon The wood pigeon is native to Europe and Western Asia.They are year-round residents in Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Greece, Morocco and other countries in the Mediterranean basin.They have a large breeding area in northern Europe, but in winter they migrate to warmer areas of the south. Several subspecies are known, one of them extinct: Columba...

Animals and Pets Online

Search This Blog