PARASITOLOGY

• Study of parasites

  1. Biology of the parasites

  2. Biology of the host (parasites' environment)
• CLINICAL PARASITOLOGY


  • Concerned with animal parasites in humans and their medical significance, as well as their importance in human communities
• ENVIRONMENT


  • Micro-environment
  • Macro-environment
• Presence of parasites in the host may trigger a response to kill them
• PARASITES


  • Organisms dependent on another organism for food and shelter
• Parasites' actions

  1. Distribution

  2. Seeking to infect new hosts
• ENVIRONMENT


  Where parasites adapt in order to survive
• Parasites need to evade this reaction in order to survive
• THEORY A: Genetic co-evolution
• THEORY B: Parasite succeeds in evading the host's response
• PARASITES


  Living organisms associated with another organism for at least part of their life cycle
• THEORETICAL HOST-PARASITE RELATIONSHIP

  Host and parasite reach equilibrium
• THEORY B: Parasite has pathological effects on the host
• Parasites are equipped to survive within a certain habitat

  Elements of the host's habitat
• PARASITOLOGY

  • Phenomenon of dependence of one living organism on another organism
• Host provides protection


  Parasite dies if host dies