MC3 LEC INTRO TO PARASITOLOGY

Cards (50)

  • Parasites are organisms that live on and obtain their nutrients from another organism, a field known as parasitology
  • Parasitology
    Deals with epidemiology, parasite-host relationships, parasitic life cycles, disease processes and symptoms, treatment, and prevention and control are associated with parasites
  • The documentation of parasite existence by the ancient Persians, Egyptians, and Greeks dates back to prehistoric times
  • Humans have progressed through the years into an age of civilization, and parasites have evolved as well
  • A number of discoveries over the years has contributed to our current knowledge of parasitology
  • Knowledge emerged on parasites becoming a problem, their responsibility for invasion in the body (infection), invasion on the body (infestation), and disease, determining an effective means of healing infected persons became a priority
  • As parasitic life cycle is also discovered, transport carriers known as vectors were frequently responsible for transmission, parasite control and elimination also became important
  • On the areas of medical and biological science, coupled with the discovery of useful tools, such as microscopes, not only expanded our knowledge of parasites and their makeup, but also their relationships with hosts - that is, plants, animals, and humans known to harbor parasites
  • Practitioners have a wealth of parasite knowledge to gain high levels of expertise in parasite identification and treatment as the number and diversity of parasites increases
  • Enhanced preservation of specimens new allows parasites that otherwise might have been destroyed to remain viable
  • In the area of parasite laboratory diagnosis, promise to be exciting
  • Measures are also now in place that are designed to protect the practitioner when handling samples for parasite study
  • A larger organism that supports the survival and growth of a smaller organism is called the host.
  • parasites are those organisms that live on or within a host organism and are metabolically dependent on the host.
  • any organism that causes disease is a parasite
  • Human host is normally in contact with mary microorganisms (normal flora)
  • Host-parasite relationships (interaction) characterized by fighting the organism to invade the body and the body defending itself by protective measures.
  • Host-parasite relationship is discussed under: pathogenicity & normal flora
  • Obligatory parasite - Parasite that cannot survive outside of a host
  • Facultative parasite - Parasite that is capable of existing independently of a host
  • Endoparasite Parasite that is established inside of a host
  • Ectoparasite Parasite that is established in or on the exterior surface
  • Accidental or incidental Host Host other than the normal one that is harboring a parasite
  • Definitive Host - Host in which the adult sexual phase of parasite development occurs
  • Intermediate Host - Host in which the larval asexual phase of parasite development occurs
  • Reservoir Host H- ost harboring parasites that are parasitic for humans and from which humans may become infected
  • Transport Host - Host responsible for transferring a parasite from one location to another
  • Carrier - Parasite-harboring host that is not exhibiting any clinical symptoms but can infect others
  • Symbiosis - Living together; the association of two living organisms, each of a different species
  • Commensalism - Association of two different species of organisms that is beneficial to one and neutral to the other
  • Mutualism - Association of two different species of organisms that is beneficial to both
  • Parasitism - Association of two different species of organisms that is beneficial to one at the other’s expense
  • Commensal - Relating to commensalism; the association between two different organisms in which one benefits and has a neutral effect on the other
  • Pathogenic - Parasite that has demonstrated the ability to cause disease
  • three common components
    1. Mode of transmission
    2. Morphologic form that invades humans, known as the infective stage
    3. One (or more) forms that can be detected via laboratory retrieval methods, known as the diagnostic stage
  • Major body areas that are affected by the disease process:
    1. Gastrointestinal (GI) and urogenital (UG) tracts
    2. Blood and tissue
    3. Liver, lung, and other major organs
    4. Miscellaneous locations like cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), eye, skin, and extremities.
  • elephantiasis -
    ● Enlargement of areas such as the breast, leg, and scrotum caused by parasite’s presence
    ● Anemia, vitamin deficiency, bowel obstruction, edema, enlargement of major organs, skin lesions, and blindness.
  • Scientific Nomenclature - 1. Each parasite has: Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus & Species (PCOFGS)
  • parasite are classified according to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature.
  • Main criteria - Morphology and genetic structure of parasites