Test 1: Parasite Ecology Flashcards
(32 cards)
What is a parasite’s niche?
The resources provided by the living body of another species, including the tissue site in the host where the parasite resides.
What are the transmission stages of parasites?
Eggs, Cysts, Spores
Do parasites occur anywhere in the body?
No! Parasites have characteristic habitats in their hosts.
Give examples of parasites and their infection sites.
Gut: Tapeworms; Anus: Pinworms; Digestive system: Various worms; Lungs: Specific flukes; Red blood cells (RBCs): Plasmodium (causes malaria)
What does coelozoic mean?
Parasites living in the lumen of intestines or body cavities.
What does histozoic mean?
Parasites living within tissues.
What trophic level do parasites occupy?
Higher trophic level than their host; At least secondary consumers; All are heterotrophic.
How do parasites obtain energy and nutrients?
Energy & carbon from organic molecules; Nitrogen from a mixture of amino acids; Use different feeding devices.
What demographic factors influence parasite infections?
Who is affected? (Age, Gender, Socioeconomic status, Education level, Marital status); Geographic distribution of infection.
What is an infrapopulation?
All parasites of a single species in one host.
What is a metapopulation?
All infrapopulations of a parasite species within a single host species in an ecosystem.
What is a suprapopulation?
All parasites of a species, regardless of life stage, in an ecosystem.
What is intensity?
The number of parasites of a species in one infected host.
What is mean intensity?
The average number of parasites per infected host.
What is incidence?
The fraction of a population that contracts a disease in a specific time.
What is prevalence?
The fraction of a population with a disease at a given time.
What is density in parasite populations?
The average number of parasites per sampling unit (includes infected & uninfected hosts).
What are macroparasites?
Large parasites that do not multiply within the host (in the life cycle stage of interest).
How are macroparasite populations distributed?
Clumped or aggregated.
Give examples of macroparasites.
Tapeworms, Adult trematodes, Nematodes, Arthropods.
What are microparasites?
Small parasites that multiply within the host.
Give examples of microparasites.
Plasmodium (causes malaria), Amebas, Trypanosomes, Rickettsia, Bacteria.
How do parasites increase reproductive success once inside a host?
Asexual reproduction (Polyembryony, Internal budding, Schizogony); Hermaphroditism (Male & Female sex organs in one organism).
What is schizogony?
A type of asexual reproduction where the nucleus divides multiple times before cytokinesis; Produces schizonts & merozoites; Occurs in Apicomplexa (e.g., Plasmodium).
