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parasitism

Also known as parasitic organism

thumb|upright=1.35|A fish parasite, the isopod [[Cymothoa exigua, replacing the tongue of a Lithognathus]]

AI overview

Parasitism is a relationship where one organism (the parasite) lives on or inside another organism (the host) and benefits by feeding on it, while harming the host in the process. It matters because parasites are common in nature and can significantly affect the health and survival of their hosts, as illustrated by examples like the isopod that replaces a fish's tongue.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Image: Entamoeba histolytica life cycle-en.svg

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Stack Exchange tag: biology.stackexchange.com/tags/parasitism
Commons category: Parasites
exact match: purl.obolibrary.org/obo/GO_0072519

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~57 min read

Article

60 sections

Contents

Etymology
Evolutionary strategies
Basic concepts
Major strategies
Parasitic castrators
Directly transmitted
Trophically transmitted
Vector-transmitted
Parasitoids
Micropredators
Transmission strategies
Variations
Hyperparasitism
Social parasitism
Brood parasitism
Kleptoparasitism
Sexual parasitism
Adelphoparasitism
Illustrations
Taxonomic range
Animals
Plants
Fungi
Protozoa
Bacteria
Viruses
Evolutionary ecology
Fossil record
Coevolution
Long-term partnerships favouring mutualism
Competition favouring virulence
Cospeciation
Modifying host behaviour
Trait loss
Host defences
Vertebrates
Insects
Plants
Biology and conservation
Ecology and parasitology
Rationale for conservation
Quantitative ecology
History
Ancient
Medieval
Early modern
Parasitology
Vaccine
Biological control
Resistance
Cultural significance
Classical times
Society
Fiction
See also
Notes
References
Sources
Further reading
External links

thumb|upright=1.35|A fish parasite, the isopod [[Cymothoa exigua, replacing the tongue of a Lithognathus]]

Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives (at least some of the time) on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson characterised parasites' way of feeding as "predators that eat prey in units of less than one". Parasites include single-celled protozoans such as the agents of malaria, sleeping sickness, and amoebic dysentery; animals such as hookworms, lice, mosquitoes, and vampire bats; fungi such as honey fungus and the agents of ringworm; and plants such as mistletoe, dodder, and the broomrapes.